


Consequences of Love

by Raindene



Series: Trials of Love [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ann/Ryuji is the best friendship, Best Friends, Bullying, Drama, Emotional Baggage, Established Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Game Spoilers, Gets better at it though, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Ryuji is still dense, Several Story Arcs, Suspense, Untagged Relationships 'cause spoilers, a little bit on Ryuji's side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 129,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12085722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raindene/pseuds/Raindene
Summary: Ryuji never realized dating Akira would cause his life to turn upside-down. Akira made him feel happy and on top of the world, like he finally belonged somewhere, but dating him had unforeseen consequences. Will their relationship last as they struggle with their own dark secrets, or will it become too much for both of them?Meanwhile Ryuji also forges strong friendships with Ann and Haru, while Akira does the same with Makoto, as he struggles with the fact that there's finally people around him that accept him for who he is and want him around...Sequel to my previous fic, Once More I Can See.UPDATE: Has a Mild Sexual Content tag as of Chapter 8, because stuff happens xD15/10 Update: Minor structural edits, also revamped the summary + added arcs.24/12 Update: Consequences of Love is now done. I'll go add the narration thing to previous chapters soon, but that's it! It's finished so I hope you enjoy it!





	1. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set after my previous fic, Once More I Can See, so please go read that first if you want the full experience (especially since there’s plot threads from there that continue here) :)  
> This’ll be a series based on Ryuji’s experiences after he starts dating Akira. While I’ll write it mostly as a character study and thus from Ryuji’s PoV, I will occasionally insert other points of view as well (especially on later chapters). Ryuji’s my fave tho, so he’ll get loads of time xD  
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoy and lemme know what you think in the comments! There’ll also be some subtle diversions from canon to make the relationship work (at the minute, the story’s set during the 6th palace, but it’ll run all the way till the end, after which it’ll shift to a third post-canon part within this series).
> 
> (My notes at the start won't be this long generally, but ye, more at the end :P)

**Arc 1 - Revelations**

**Ryuji Sakamato**

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon as Ryuji left the school building. It felt like classes took even longer than usual today, but that was probably because of what he was preparing for. He was on his way to the Underground Mall in Shibuya to meet up with Ann. Tomorrow was a big day after all and she offered to help him out. He was going on his first official date with Akira and Ann told him “You can’t wear your normal graphic t-shirts Ryuji, we need to get you something special!” practically forcing him to come with her. Maybe she was right, Ryuji figured, and he did want to show Akira that he was serious about them as a couple. He didn’t really understand how getting new clothes would help with that though.

When he arrived at the mall, he saw that Ann was already waiting for him.

“Ryuji-kun!!!” he heard a melodic voice calling for him.

It quickly turned out that Ann was not alone, as Haru showed up behind her.

“Ann-chan told me that she was going to buy you new clothes for your big date, so I decided to come along! You don’t mind right?” she rambled excitedly, almost bouncing up and down in excitement. It was odd seeing Haru like this, but it turned out that Haru had been cheering for Ryuji and Akira to get together ever since she joined the Phantom Thieves. As such she had been over the moon when they finally started dating. Ryuji swore he could hear her mutter something about “forbidden love” sometimes, but he decided he imagined it.

“Of course not, the more the better!” he decided, causing Haru to smile even brighter. He could swear he could see Ann rolling her eyes at Haru, but decided to ignore it. He probably just imagined it.

“I still don’t get why the hell I need new clothes though…” he muttered. “I love my t-shirts, they’re easy and comfy and got effin’ cool messages on them”.

He could definitely see Ann roll her eyes at him now, while Haru giggled.

“It’s because you always wear the same t-shirts Ryuji. Have you ever gone on a proper date before?” Ann asked, trying her hardest to sound incredibly serious, but it was obvious that she was thoroughly enjoying herself .

Ryuji blushed at her question, as he had never gone on a proper date before. Sure he never really imagined he’d dig a guy, he always got excited over girls before he met Akira, but he had never gone out with a girl either.

“Are you for real?!” Ryuji exclaimed, not bothering to hide his frustration.

“I take that as a no then,” Ann decided, giggling, and Ryuji didn’t bother to correct her, knowing she was right. Haru had started giggling like mad at this point, no longer bothering to hide it, which caused Ryuji to wonder if bringing her along was a good idea after all.

* * *

After poking some more fun at Ryuji, the girls decided it was time to start working on their mission. Getting Ryuji a great outfit that was sure to impress Akira.

They dragged him through multiple clothing stores, before deciding that a store selling stuff for athletic guys would be the best fit for him. Ryuji just sort of let them drag him with them. He didn’t really know much about clothes, generally just buying what felt nice, and he figured that Ann and Haru would know what they were doing.

“What do you think about this Ryuji?” Ann asked, holding up a plain white shirt while Haru was holding up a dark blue jacket.

“I think you’d look really good in this Ryuji-kun,” Haru added.

Not wanting to let the girls down, he changed into the clothes they had picked out for him, grabbing a pair of black pants as well since he figured they would match the clothes that the girls picked out. As he changed, he wondered what Akira would think. Would he be impressed that Ryuji went out to buy new clothes just for their date? Ryuji hoped he would.

As he finished changing, he checked himself out in the mirror and was surprised at how different he looked. This was definitely different than how he usually looked, that was for sure.

Deciding to show the girls, he walked out of the changing rooms and the moment he did they greeted him with wide approval.

“This is definitely the look Ryuji, you look really confident!” Ann said, smiling proudly at her handiwork. “I really like it too, it makes you look very fanciable” Haru chimed in.

“I’m sure Akira will love seeing you like this!” Ann added, as if Ryuji needed to be convinced into buying it. He had already decided to buy the clothes the moment he saw himself in the mirror.

Deciding to change back into his regular clothes before buying the new ones, he went back into the changing rooms, but when he came back out, he could only find Ann.

He was about to ask her where Haru went, before she showed back up with a huge smile on her face.

“I got you the clothes, Ryuji-kun!” she exclaimed happily, handing him a paper bag to put the clothes in, as he was still carrying them.

“Really?!” Ryuji exclaimed happily, before giving Haru a quick hug. He had made up his mind to spend the money he saved up on these clothes, because even though he didn’t have a lot, he wanted to show Akira that he cared, but the fact that Haru had gotten them for him made him feel really grateful.

“I just wanted to do something for you guys, you have all been really good to me,” Haru said, blushing, after Ryuji let go off her.

“Let’s go out for a celebratory drink then!” Ann said, excitedly, as they left the store and made their way to the diner in Shibuya. They talked about the next day for a while, while Ann and Haru had ordered fruit tea. After some coercion, Ryuji got some as well, as Ann told him that it would make him look more charming.

After chatting for a while, Ann mentioned that she had to go. She had a photoshoot that she had to get ready for the next day . “If you need anything though, Ryuji, you can text me at any time tomorrow”, she said seriously before starting to collect her things. Haru then decided it was time for her to go as well.

The three of them walked to the train station together and as they were about to go their separate ways, Ryuji shouted “Thanks Haru! And you too Ann, for helping pick this out. I’m sure it will make tomorrow better!” feeling slightly overwhelmed by his emotions. Both of them looked at him awkwardly for a moment, before smiling at Ryuji being Ryuji and waving goodbye to him.

* * *

While he was on the train home, he thought back to the phone call he and Ann had the night he got together with Akira. She had offered to help him sort through his issues, but she never brought it up again, so Ryuji figured she had just been polite. After all, when you find out your friend’s dealing with stuff, you offer to help them out, right? He didn’t want to burden her, or any of his friends, with his problems though, deep down still feeling that he didn’t deserve them or Akira for that matter. The only thing he had noticed different about Ann is that she somehow always seemed worried about him now, but only when they were alone, which confused him. Then again, she had just told him he could text her whenever while Haru was around, so maybe he was wrong about her not wanting to seriously help him?

The train had arrived at his stop at this point, forcing himself to banish those thoughts for the time being and making his way home.

As he made his way home, his thoughts drifted to how new all of this still felt to Ryuji. Sure he had been a part of the Phantom Thieves for almost half a year now, but he was still not used to having friends who looked out for him. At first they had mostly hung around Akira, but slowly they had started paying attention to Ryuji as well, acknowledging him as their friend. It honestly made him feel a bit overwhelmed from time to time, he was not used to having a group of friends. Ryuji played it off by acting all cool about it, that’s what guys did after all, but he spend a lot of time pondering about it. Ryuji didn’t want them to find out about that though, especially not Akira or Ann, they would probably just think he was weird for it and start shunning him.

* * *

“Ryu-kun? Is that you?” were the first words Ryuji heard as he entered his apartment in a bit of a daze. To his surprise his mother was actually home. She was generally working a night-shift on Saturdays.

“Mom, you home?” he replied in surprise.

“Boss closed up early,” she responded gently. “I’m just glad I get to spend time with you Ryu-kun, it’s been far too long since we spent some time together,” she added with a smile, looking exhausted.

She was right about that, Ryuji thought. His mom would generally work all day, only coming home late at night, before leaving for her job early in the morning. She had to, if they wanted to afford the apartment they were living in.

Ryuji had been quietly pitching in ever since he joined the Phantom Thieves, considering beating up Shadows gave him some form of income, replacing old stuff around the apartment with identical stuff. This was also the reason why, compared to most of this other friends, he still didn’t have a lot of money to spend. When his mom asked him about where the new things came from, he said he got a part-time job to help her out and that answer seemed to satisfy her.

After sitting down at the dinner table, his mom had made Ryuji his favorite ramen, they started talking about their lives. His mom telling him about her job and how her boss was being difficult lately. Sensing she must’ve seen the worry on his face, she quickly reassured him that her position wasn’t in jeopardy. In fact, she was in line for a promotion.

“Hell yeah, mom!” Ryuji shouted at that news, excitedly pumping his fists in the air. She looked at him with a smile, making Ryuji feel a pang of guilt. His mom worked so hard for his sake, and what did he do? Sure he tried helping her out with the money he got from his adventures with the Phantom Thieves, but he always felt like he hadn’t done enough since his dad left…

“So, what have you been up to Ryu-kun?” his mom asked him sincerely.

Ryuji wanted to tell her everything, about the Phantom Thieves and their adventures, but knew that he couldn’t. He did end up telling them about the Phantom Thieves, without naming them, and that they were his new friends and how he was going to an amusement park with one of said friends tomorrow. As he finished his story, he could see that his mom had a huge smile on her face. She was really happy for him, that he had friends again, but Ryuji felt like something was off about the way she was looking at him and he would soon be proven correct.

“Are you finally gonna tell me the truth Ryu-kun? About your incident with the track team?” his mom suddenly asked him, catching completely off-guard.

“You…you knew?” he muttered, unsure how to respond.

“Oh Ryu-kun, it’s a mother’s job to know,” she said while smiling at him. “But you never wanted to talk about it, so I didn’t want to confront you about it”.

“Mom…” Ryuji muttered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his emotions. His mother put his arm around his shoulder and moved him to the couch, before sitting next to him.

“Talk to me Ryu-kun,” she said, straightening her back so she faced him directly.

“I didn’t…didn’t get into an effin’ accident mom. That damn Kamoshida broke my leg because I talked back to him…he made an effin’ example out of me and then got rid of the entire track team…Everyone hated me because of that, because I couldn’t keep my effin’ mouth shut…” he somehow managed to say before sobbing.

“That bastard!” his mom cursed, sounding angry, before turning to Ryuji. She hugged him tightly, telling him he was a good boy. That it wasn’t his fault and that he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Being embraced by his mother caused Ryuji to cry more. He missed her so much, he knew she needed to be at work to support him, but he still missed her.

After finally calming down, his mother let go off him.

She looked hesitant for a moment, before she asked him one final question: “Why didn’t you tell me?” her voice filled with concern.

“I…didn’t wanna burden you mom, you have so much on your plate…I didn’t need to add to that.” Ryuji muttered while looking away. He felt ashamed for telling his mother about his problems. She didn’t need to know, he wasn’t important enough.

“Oh Ryu-kun…” his mother whispered. “You’re too considerate for your own good, you know? I’m your mother. I’m supposed to worry about you and you’ll never be a burden to me,” she told him. When he heard that he rushed towards his mother to hug her once more. He was so happy to hear that, even if he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold on to feeling like he wasn’t a burden. He wiped the tears from his eyes as he smiled brightly at her, causing her to smile back.

“Look at the time Ryu-kun” his mother said after some time had passed. “Shouldn’t you go to bed for your trip with your friend tomorrow?” she asked, reminding Ryuji of his date tomorrow.

“Yeah, you’re right mom…and thanks, for talking…” he said, before going to his bedroom to get changed and sleep for the night.

* * *

After Ryuji plopped down on his bed, he just sighed. He had gotten so wrapped up in his talk to his mom that he forgot to prepare for his date. In a way he was glad he talked to her about Kamoshida, instead of his date. He was not ready to tell her he was gay…or bi…at least not straight yet, not sure how she would respond. The talk about Kamoshida was actually beneficial for him as well. She knew now, meaning Ryuji no longer had to hide that secret from her. It honestly felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, allowing him to focus on his date once more.

He hoped Akira would like the clothes he bought, would he even notice? And how was he supposed to act in the first place? Ann and the other girls had given him magazines with articles like “How to act on your first date” and “Get the guy you want to like you in 5 easy steps”. He quickly realized they probably wouldn’t help them, but he read them anyways, since he had no experience with dates whatsoever. After a while, he threw the magazines away in frustration, grabbing his phone.

> **Ryuji > **ann, you up?

It was pretty late at this point, so Ryuji didn’t really expect a reply, but to his surprise his phone buzzed a few moment later.

> **Ann > **I am now, something wrong Ryuji?

There it was again, Ann was immediately concerned about him again.

> **Ryuji > **no no, just nervous for tomorrow...
> 
> **Ann > **Oh Ryuji, say no more! I can link you to a great article on how not to be nervous for your first date.
> 
> **Ryuji > **please no more articles…
> 
> **Ann > **Why not?
> 
> **Ryuji > **they’re not helping
> 
> **Ann >** Oh…
> 
> **Ann > **Well just be yourself then, Akira really likes you Ryuji, don’t forget that!
> 
> **Ann > **I should go back to sleep now, photoshoot tomorrow :P
> 
> **Ann > **Night Ryuji and don't worry so much.
> 
> **Ryuji > **night ann… thanks for the advice

Before putting his phone down, he decided to send one more text, before going to sleep himself. Taking a while to get the perfect message typed out.

> **Ryuji > **really hyped for tomorrow bro, can’t wait to see you. we’ll meet at shibuya, ye?

He hoped Akira would read his text and as he was about to fall asleep, he could hear his phone buzz, making him feel wide awake once more.

> **Akira > **Me too, man! See ya at the train station tomorrow! :)

Ryuji felt really happy reading those words and with his mind being moderately at least, he dozed off pretty quickly.

* * *

Ryuji woke up the moment the sunlight hit his face. Contrary to what people thought of him, he was always awake early. Probably because he used to go for runs in the morning. He took a quick shower while thinking to himself about how he should go for runs again. His leg may still hurt, but at least he’d get back into shape that way. Not that Ryuji was in bad shape, working out and Phantom Thieves escapades took care of that, but he could always be better. That’s how he felt anyway. After he finished his shower he put on his new clothes, which still smelled new. Looking at himself in the mirror, he tried to put extra effort into doing his hair, but it ended up looking the same as always. When he got to the kitchen, he found a note his mom had left him saying:

“Have a nice day at the amusement park Ryuji and don’t get sick! 

Love mom”

Ryuji smiled as he read the note, before putting it away and getting ready to make himself some breakfast. He quickly made some eggs and rice, before stuffing it in his mouth.

After he finished eating, Ryuji checked if he had everything, before leaving for the train station, getting on the train to Shibuya to meet up with Akira. The closer the train got to Shibuya, the more nervous Ryuji got, feeling like his heart was going to leap out of his chest the moment he saw Akira.

As he got off the train, he immediately spotted Akira, who was wearing his normal Sunday clothes.

“Aww, if I knew you were gonna dress up, I would’ve gotten something myself,” he teased Ryuji as soon as he saw him, while flicking Ryuji’s nose.

“The hell man, stop that…” Ryuji muttered, not feeling entirely comfortable with Akira being affectionate in public. They had only ever been affectionate in private and he wasn’t sure how to act around Akira in public now that they were dating.

“So…um…wanna go to Dome Town then?” Akira said, seeming slightly taken aback by Ryuji’s reaction.

“Yeah man! Let’s go!” Ryuji yelled, while excitedly pumping his fists in the air.

He couldn’t help but shake the feeling that he had immediately screwed up though.

* * *

It had been a while since they last went to Dome Town together and even though they had gone together multiple times over the summer, it felt different to Ryuji this time. This time was real, he was going on a date here with Akira. He could feel his face flush when he remembered how he told Akira that he was going to take his first date here.

“You ok, Ryuji? You look a bit flushed,” he could hear Akira whisper to him. They were, surprisingly, sitting next to each other on the train.

“Just remembering what I told ya man,” he whispered back.

“About wanting to take your first date here? Why do you think I insisted on going here first?” Akira whispered back, slightly blushing himself at this point.

Feeling happy that Akira remembered, Ryuji quickly squeezed his hand while smiling at him, before quickly letting go. He didn’t want people to stare at them after all.

* * *

“So here we are once more, two dudes at an amusement park,” Ryuji said, remembering the first time he went here with Akira and how daft he had been. Back then, he hadn’t realized his feelings for Akira, nor had he realized that Akira had been pining for him at the time.

“Would it still be better with a girl though?” Akira asked teasingly. Ryuji loved that about Akira. The fact that whenever he would get emotional, he would always try to get around it by teasing others.

“Hell no dude, you’re the best!” Ryuji said loudly while slapping Akira on the back, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards to rollercoaster. He loved the rollercoaster, even though it always made him feel a little sick.

“You’re not going to get sick again, are you?” Akira asked cautiously, before throwing his hands up in defeat when he realized there was no changing Ryuji’s mind as Ryuji tried convincing him that it’d be different this time.

They were able to snag the front cars of the rollercoaster, giving them the best view as Ryuji yelled loudly in excitement during the ride.

When they got off though, Ryuji looked a little green.

“I guess it was not different this time,” Akira said, laughing at Ryuji’s usual antics.

“The hell, man…I need a restroom!” Ryuji said with a panicky voice, trying his best to locate a nearby restroom.

There wasn’t one nearby though, so he let Akira lead him to a nearby bench, hoping he would not barf all over him.

“I actually know a little trick for this,” Akira said, while moving behind Ryuji. Ryuji would take accept anything at this point, not wanting to feel sick anymore, as Akira started to massage his back.

Ryuji felt taken aback by this for a moment, before he felt the muscles in his back relax.

“Take deep breaths, Ryuji,” Akira told him, as he continued massaging his back.

To Ryuji’s surprise, it actually worked and he felt his sickness slowly disappear, until finally it was completely gone. A few moments later, Akira stopped massaging him and sat down next to him on the bench.

“Feeling better?” he asked, looking hopeful.

“A hell of a lot! Thanks bro! Where’d you learn that trick?” Ryuji said gratefully.

“My little secret,” Akira said, with a devious grin on his face.

“For real, dude? You gotta tell me everything now!” Ryuji exclaimed frustratingly.

“Maybe if you stop acting like dating me is a punishment,” Akira said, his voice suddenly sounding really sad, looking away immediately, making it obvious that his statement had slipped out on accident.

* * *

Ryuji was taken aback by this, he thought the date had been going well. Sure, their visit to Dome Town wasn’t really different from usual, but they had fun, right?

“Ex…excuse me for a minute…I’ll be right back…” he muttered, before running off holding back his tears, and praying Akira would wait for him.

“Sure, I’ll wait…” Akira responded, while Ryuji could still hear him, sounding really sad. The sadness in Akira’s voice nearly broke Ryuji’s heart as he grabbed his phone to text Ann.

> **Ryuji > **ann…i think i really effed up…

Before Ryuji could even put his phone down, she had already responded.

> **Ann > **Ryuji, please don’t tell me you messed up your date!?
> 
> **Ryuji > **…i did i think
> 
> **Ryuji > **akira said i should stop acting like dating him is a punishment…
> 
> **Ryuji > **i dunno what i did wrong, i really like him…even went shopping with you and haru…
> 
> **Ann > **Dammit Ryuji!
> 
> **Ann >** Don’t worry though, Ann is here to fix it!
> 
> **Ryuji > **here…?
> 
> **Ann > **Not literally, you idiot.
> 
> **Ann >** Tell me, what did you guys do?
> 
> **Ryuji > **well we walked around the park, went on the freakin' rollercoaster, i got sick and akira gave me a massage…
> 
> **Ann > **No not that, well I love the massage detail, but like, did you guys hold hands…or do anything romantic at all?
> 
> **Ryuji > **but we’re two dudes…
> 
> **Ann > **Do I need to spell it out for you Ryuji, Akira’s sad you don’t treat him romantically. You’re more than bros now “dude”.
> 
> **Ryuji > **oh…OH!
> 
> **Ryuji > **thanks ann, i know what i should do now…
> 
> **Ann > **You better Ryuji, or I'm going to hunt you down tonight.
> 
> **Ann > **Good luck!

* * *

As he put his phone away, Ryuji thought hard on what he thought people generally did on dates, before realizing it had been almost 10 minutes since he left Akira. Praying he was still sitting on the bench, Ryuji quickly made his way back.

While he was on his way, he noticed a balloon store and bought a heart-shaped balloon. This would work, he thought to himself as he soon saw that Akira sitting on the bench, nervously playing with his hair.

Akira looked at Ryuji when he noticed the boy walking towards him, before noticing the balloon and raising his eyebrows.

“For…for you…” Ryuji muttered, while holding the balloon out to Akira, who grabbed his hand causing them to hold the balloon together.

After keeping their hands intertwined for a while, Akira took the balloon, while muttering a thank you, clearly not expecting this development.

“I’m sorry Akira…I was being daft again…” Ryuji told him, forcing himself to look Akira straight in the eye. “I was so effin’ worried about what people would think of us, that I didn’t act like how I should have. Our first date should be special, not me being crybaby…Can you forgive me?” Ryuji asked, asking the question he was terrified to ask.

Akira just nodded at him, looking speechless for a minute, causing Ryuji to jump at the opportunity.

“Let’s turn this into a proper date then!” Ryuji yelled, trying to no longer care about the people surrounding them, as he grabbed Akira’s hand instead of his arm.

Ryuji expected that Akira would assume he was taking him to the rollercoaster once more, but he had a different ride planned this time, the most romantic one he could think off.

* * *

“The Swan Boats of Love?” Akira said slowly, looking absolutely shocked at Ryuji’s choice.

“You sure you’re okay with this Ryuji?” he continued, looking at Ryuji worryingly.

“For sure, man! I want you to know how serious I am about you!” Ryuji stated confidently, feeling like he had to do this for Akira.

“We can even go on the freakin’ Ferris Wheel afterwards if you want!” he added, trying to make Akira feel even more loved.

Akira seemed to relent, as it was almost their turn to board a swan boat, which they did soon after.

While they were on the boat, Ryuji let his head rest on Akira’s shoulder. “I’m glad I’m here with you, bro…” he whispered.

“You know Ryuji, you don’t have to force yourself so much…” Akira said, still sounding worried. “I am glad to be here with you too though,” he added afterwards, looking away, but not before Ryuji could see that his face was completely red.

“I’m just not…used to this, y’know? Being a couple…especially not with freakin' dude,” Ryuji confessed, feeling like he owned Akira the truth. “I really like you though…Akira. Like, really a lot. I don’t know much, but hell do I know that much…” Ryuji started, as he was about to start rambling. Before he could though, Akira but his finger on Ryuji’s lips to shush him, before leaning in for a quick kiss.

“I really like you too, Ryuji…we’ve been over this,” he responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Suddenly they heard a loud coughing sound next to them.

“Excuse me guys, I love that the boats have their intended effect, but you’re supposed to get out of then,” the person attending the ride told them, which caused both guys to blush even more as they struggled to get out of the boat quickly.

Ryuji almost fell in the water, but he was lucky as Akira caught him before he could topple over.

“Thanks bro…” Ryuji muttered, causing Akira to laugh at him before they got out of the boat.

* * *

“Ferris wheel next then?” Ryuji asked Akira with a smile on his face, which caused the other boy to give in immediately.

As they made their way to the Ferris wheel, Ryuji’s stomach suddenly started grumbling, causing Akira to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Effin’ stomach” Ryuji cursed, before asking Akira if they could get something to eat first.

“I’m pretty hungry myself, so let’s go for it!” was the reply he got, making Ryuji plan his next move, because even though the date felt better now, he still wanted to wow Akira.

After thinking long and hard, he remembered a Disney movie Ann showed him a while ago, gushing about how romantic the spaghetti eating scene was.

He figured there was no way to get Spaghetti in Dome Town, although he made a note to himself to learn how to make it, but he decided he could probably recreate the scene using his favorite food, ramen.

“Wanna go for some ramen then?” he asked Akira, who immediately agreed knowing how much Ryuji loved it.

As they quickly found a cart selling ramen, Ryuji told Akira he was going to treat them. Before Akira could protest, Ryuji pointed out all the times Akira had covered for him and that it was only fair.

After making sure Akira had settled at a table, he made his way over to the cart. To his surprise, there was a sweet elderly lady asking for his order.

“So um…could I get like two bowls of ramen, but in like a single big bowl?” he asked, feeling really shy about it.

The old lady nodded, before asking if it was for him and his girlfriend, something which Ryuji denied before turning bright red.

“Boyfriend then?” the old lady inquired with a sly smile on her face, causing Ryuji to quickly nod at her.

It felt weird, publicly acknowledging that he had a boyfriend, but it made him feel good at the same time. Even though this old lady was a random stranger, he had finally admitted to someone he was dating Akira.

“Enjoy your bowl with your guy” the lady told him after Ryuji had waited for a bit, handing him a huge bowl of Ramen.

She had definitely put a lot of work into it, even cutting the carrots into little hearts. Ryuji thanked her, before paying her and making his way back to Akira while holding the giant bowl of ramen.

“So wait, you just got a huge bowl for yourself?” Akira asked him the moment he came back and put the bowl on the table.

“Nah dude, we can share it. Two pairs of chopsticks and everything” Ryuji responded, smiling at his idea of a romantic gesture.

Akira shrugged before he started eating, with Ryuji joining right after. Eventually there was only one noodle left, signaling Ryuji that it was time for him to commence his plan.

“Do you want it?” Akira asked him, having noticed that Ryuji was eyeing the noodle and thinking Ryuji was still hungry.

“We…uh…can share it?” Ryuji responded. “Like we both start eating one of the ends and then slowly move towards each other…”

Akira started blushing, as he caught on to what Ryuji was suggesting, before nodding and moving one of the noodle ends to his mouth.

As they were both nibbling on the noodle their faces slowly moved closer to each other until it was time for the final bite.

Akira slyly pulled the noodle out of Ryuji’s mouth, as his lips brushed Ryuji’s. He gave him a quick kiss, before leaning back, smiling.

“I win” Akira said, with a huge grin on his face.

“The hell?”

“I got the noodle, and a kiss from you. I’d say that makes me the winner” Akira clarified, still grinning widely at Ryuji.

Ryuji decided to give in, happy that his plan was successful. He felt like he had saved his date. Granted, he screwed it up in the first place, but it was still a victory.

* * *

“Excuse me ladies and gentleman, I would like to remind you that the park closes in 15 minutes. Please make your way to the exit in an orderly fashion.”

“Dammit,” Ryuji yelled, “now we can’t go on the Ferris wheel”.

Akira, however, put his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder. “That’s fine, we can always do that next time, right?” he asked with a smile.

“For real?!” Ryuji exclaimed happily.

“Unless you don’t want a second date?” Akira teased him.

“Of course I do, bro, don’t joke about that!” Ryuji immediately responded, trying to look at Akira with an annoyed look on his face. He failed miserably though, as he was too happy to looked annoyed, causing Akira to laugh at him.

Soon after, they decided to make their way to the park’s exit, wanting to get there before everyone else did, so they didn’t have to sit on an overcrowded train.

As they were walking, Ryuji mustered up the courage to grab Akira’s hand and to walk with him like couples would.

When their hands intertwined, Akira looked at him, asking him if he was alright with this.

“Yeah bro, took me a while, but yeah!” he responded, smiling warmly at Akira.

Akira gave his hand a squeeze before they walked towards the station together, not noticing the group of three guys behind them.

* * *

**???**

“Oh wow, this is absolute gold,” one of them whispered to the others.

“That Ryuji kid won’t know what’ll hit him at school tomorrow,” one of the others confirmed, smiling ominously at the other two while they watched Ryuji and Akira board the train.

“It’s time to make sure that punk still knows his place,” the final one said, “we’re going to remind him he’s at the bottom of the food chain”. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's gonna happen to Ryuji (and Akira) next? D: Sounds like trouble is brewing for sure!
> 
> But yeah, there we go. First chapter to start the story off and set up some events and future plot points! Hope you guys enjoyed it and thank you for reading it! Leaving a comment/kudo is of course very much appreciated too and I would love to hear what you guys think! ^_^
> 
> Writing fluff is quite difficult for me and I'm still trying to get the characters down completely. I think I'm slowly getting better at it, though. Should get better while the fic progresses since I can do some character development in the story now.  
> I loved writing this chapter. I honestly can't decide if the balloon or the noodle scene is my favorite, but I loved working on both of them. Writing Ryuji as someone who's completely stumped when it comes to dating made sense to me as well and I had a lot of fun with that.
> 
> Original draft didn't have the cliffhanger, but decided to put it in to (hopefully) make you guys wanting more! ^_^ (stuff will get dark next chapter(s) tho, so keep that in mind).
> 
> Gonna try and do (bi-)weekly updates, so make sure to watch this space or something if you wanna know what happens next!


	2. You're Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji's date with Akira went better than he could have ever hoped for, but people at school have differing opinions, causing Ryuji to reach his breaking point...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set right after the end of the last chapter. This chapter will see stuff take a turn for the worse and will pretty much set up the rest of this story arc. Anyways, things are about to get brutal, so buckle up! Rating has been upped to M as well, you’ll see why.

**Ryuji Sakamato**

When Ryuji got home, he noticed his mother was still out as he let out a loud cheer. His date with Akira was awesome, even though it started off a little rocky. It had been nothing short of amazing in the end and Ryuji was glad his ideas had made Akira happy.

Realizing he still hadn’t told Ann what happened, he grabbed his phone to text her.

> **Ryuji > **your advice was the freakin’ best!
> 
> **Ann > **What are you waiting for then? Call me! Now!

Honestly, Ryuji had wanted to call Ann immediately instead of texting her, but he was afraid she would think of him as a bother. Nevertheless he dialed her number and she answered immediately.

“Ryuji! How was your date? You have to tell me everything!” she yelled excitedly into the telephone.

“Jeez, Ann. The hell you being so loud for?” Ryuji responded, causing Ann to lower her voice’s volume.

“Oops, I got a bit excited. Tell me though!” she said happily.

Ryuji told her about the date. How he had bought the heart-shaped balloon, which somehow had gone missing very quickly, how he and Akira had gone on the swan boats and how they ended the day the day with a romantic meal at a ramen cart.

“Oh. My. God,” Ann squealed when Ryuji was done talking, “you two are the cutest, I have to tell the others.”

“Do you have to” Ryuji whined, but he somehow knew what Ann was going to say.

“Yes, it’s girl code. I have to tell them everything,” Ann responded jokingly, “unless you really don’t want me too?”

“It’s fine, go ahead with your freakin’ girl code” Ryuji told her. He didn’t mind the others finding out, they had all helped him and Akira get together in the first place.

“Are you feeling okay though Ryuji?” she asked, changing the subject. Ryuji noticed that Ann sounded worried, but he didn’t really understand why. He had just been on an amazing date, why wouldn’t he be okay?

“Yeah, I’m feeling effin’ amazing right now!” he said, raising his voice as if to prove a point.

“If you say so, just know you can talk to me, alright?” she responded softly, which caused Ryuji to feel like she didn’t really believe him.

Before he could ask her about that though, she excused herself, telling Ryuji she had some things to take care off before hanging up the phone.

Ryuji made himself some food after the phone call, he wasn’t really hungry after eating all that ramen, but he knew he shouldn’t skip dinner. After finishing his food, he went to his room to read some of his favorite manga. After a bit, he heard his phone buzz again and when he took a look at this phone he saw that Akira had texted him.

> **Akira > **I had tons of fun today. Thanks for the ramen :P
> 
> **Akira > **Wanna meet at the station tomorrow before going to school?
> 
> **Akira > **We can go together…as a couple?

Ryuji wasn’t sure how to respond. Part of him really wanted to say yes. He was proud of dating Akira and he knew that he shouldn’t mind showing that off.

Another part of him was afraid though, afraid that this would give people the ammunition they needed to bully him…and potentially Akira too.

The thought of Akira being bullied broke his heart, overpowering his own fear of being bullied.

After thinking about it for a while, he decided to tell Akira yes. He was proud of them dating and Akira deserved someone who wasn’t afraid to show that.

When he grabbed his phone to respond, he saw Akira had left him another message. Probably because Ryuji had taken a while to respond.

> **Akira > **You don’t have to, only do it if you want Ryuji
> 
> **Ryuji > **nono
> 
> **Ryuji > **I’d love to. I’m proud of you being my boyfriend.
> 
> **Akira > **You’re using proper grammar, Ryuji?!
> 
> **Akira > **You must be really serious :)
> 
> **Ryuji > **the hell! don’t get used to it man
> 
> **Ryuji > **but ye, i dig it! let’s do it!
> 
> **Akira > **Alright, see ya tomorrow then Ryu :)
> 
> **Akira > **(that was not an accident)
> 
> **Ryuji > **Ryu? did you come up with a nickname?
> 
> **Akira > **Yes…
> 
> **Ryuji > **i love it
> 
> **Akira > **Good! Morgana’s nagging me to go to sleep though, apparently us texting is keeping him up.
> 
> **Ryuji > **screw that little cat
> 
> **Akira > **You know I can’t do that Ryuji…
> 
> **Ryuji > **i know, i know
> 
> **Ryuji > **was joking
> 
> **Ryuji > **goodnight then, have nice dreams ;)
> 
> **Akira > **I’m sure I will
> 
> **Akira > **Night Ryu :)

Ryuji smiled as he put his phone down. His relationship with Akira was going well and tomorrow he was going to prove to himself that things can change. School was going to be fine, it just had to be.

* * *

When Ryuji woke up the next morning it was still relatively early, causing him to take it easy while getting ready for school. As he made his way to the train he saw that Akira had texted him a heart, so he quickly texted one back before he entered the station. Quickly getting on his train to Shibuya, Ryuji was excited to see Akira. Their date had been amazing and because of that he was sure every day with Akira was going to be amazing from now on. Akira really brought out the best in him and being around him made Ryuji feel happy and like he belonged.

When he got off the train, he saw that Akira had been waiting from him. Waving to him excitedly as Ryuji quickly made his way over to him.

“Morning handsome!” Akira said to him, smiling brightly.

“You’re more handsome, really,” Ryuji responded sheepishly, before he started blushing.

Soon after their exchange the guys realized that they had to quickly make their way to the platform where their school train departed. They did not want to be late after all.

Getting off their train, they made their way to Shujin holding hands like they agreed to. Ryuji saw that some people were staring at them, pointing and whispering, and while it made him self-conscious, he knew he had to get used to it. This was one the harder parts of openly dating another guy, he told himself, before resolving to get over it quickly. He had gotten over worse things before and he was going through this together with Akira, so it wouldn’t be difficult.

When they arrived at the school gate, they went their separate ways, promising to meet back up during lunch break. While Ryuji made his way through the school, he slowly started feeling like something was off. People were staring at him, whispering, before quickly looking away when he looked at them. He knew he was known as a delinquent and had quite a bad reputation, but this was worse than usual. It reminded him of when he got bullied right after the incident with the track team. He tried to shrug it off as he made his way to class. All the staring had made him feel upset though and he hoped it wouldn’t get worse.

* * *

Ryuji got through class relatively fine and people seemed to stare at him less while it was in session. Some people were still staring at him though, he could feel it.

He couldn’t wait until it was lunch break, at least he would be able to see Akira and the rest of his friends then. Maybe he should tell them about what he noticed, but Ryuji was afraid they wouldn’t take him seriously.

As the bell rang and Ryuji got his stuff, the guy who sat at the desk in front of him shoved Ryuji’s things on the floor.

“Hey! What’s your effin’ problem?!” Ryuji shouted angrily, causing the people who were still in the classroom to stare at him and the other guy.

“You kissing freakin’ guys, what else?” he responded smugly.

Ryuji froze, as he was processing the words he just heard.

“Cat got your tongue, Sakamoto? We saw everything you dirty scum. You’re disgusting and deep down you know it!” the guy continued, tearing Ryuji down as people gathered around them.

Ryuji tried to ignore him, having crouched down to collect his things. He had learned to ignore bullies before and he could do it again.

As he finished collecting his things, he shot the guy a dirty look before quickly making his way to the cafeteria.

“There he is! Our little gay delinquent!” another guy yelled the moment Ryuji set food in the cafeteria, causing everyone to stare at him.

Ryuji wanted to turn around, before he stopped himself. He could do this, he could be the bigger man and ignore it.

“Hey!” the same guy yelled, walking towards him now, “I’m talking to you, you dirtbag!”

“What’d you call me?” Ryuji said angrily, having had enough of everyone abusing him.

“A worthless, disgusting dirtbag. You know that guy won’t even love you, right? Who could?” the guy snarled, before kicking Ryuji’s bad leg, causing him to fall over.

As the guy started to kick him, Ryuji wished it would just stop, for some reason he just couldn’t fight back. His leg hurt and this is exactly what he had been afraid of, causing his fear to make him feel paralyzed now. He resolved to wait for the guy to finish kicking him, guarding his body with his arms.

“Heard you like orange soda, here you go punk!” the guy yelled, before emptying a can of soda on Ryuji’s head, causing him to feel even more humiliated as people laughed at him.

“HEY! Get away from Ryuji right now or I’ll report you to the principal!” he could hear a familiar voice shout.

As he looked up, he saw Makoto was running towards him, followed closely by Ann and Akira as the three of them quickly made his way to him.

The guy who attacked Ryuji quickly ran away when he saw them approach, leaving Ryuji on crumpled up on the floor.

“Show’s over, get out of here!” Makoto added, having gone full student council president mode, trying to get the remaining people who gathered around Ryuji away from him.

After Akira helped him get to his feet, Ryuji looked at his friends, who all wore expressions filled with worry and guilt, before he turned around and ran away as fast as he could. Hiding inside in the first men’s room he could find.

He tried his hardest to scrub the orange soda out of his hair and to clean up his face, but he was failing miserably as he started shaking uncontrollably. He could feel the tears stinging in the back of his eyes, as he tried willing himself not to cry and make a bigger joke out of him himself. He had to be strong, he could get through this, but somehow he felt like he was lying to himself as he let himself sink to the floor.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**  

Everything happened way too fast as Ryuji ran past her and Akira. Ann cursed at herself for not arriving at the cafeteria earlier.

She, together with Akira, had been held up as they met up with Makoto on the way to the cafeteria. Some guy kept harassing them, until Makoto threatened him using her authority as president.

Now she understood why. They wanted to isolate Ryuji so they could pick on him. She had recognized the guy who was kicking Ryuji. He had been Ryuji’s track team rival before Kamoshida happened and he had always been jealous of Ryuji. Ann couldn’t believe he would go this far though, as she angrily balled his fists.

She looked at Akira, who looked more than a little distraught, and Makoto, who still tried to calm down the cafeteria, before making up her mind and running off to find Ryuji. When Akira and Makoto realized what she was doing, they quickly followed after her.

“Do you know where he went?” Akira asked her, his voice filled with worry, as he caught up to her.

“I hope so…” Ann responded, knowing that Ryuji used to lock himself in the men’s room when he was upset back in middle school, praying that old habits die hard.

As they made their way to the closest restroom, she could see Akira was slowly freaking out. Hoping he would keep it together when they arrived, she signaled the others to be quiet as she was sure she heard something.

Ann quickly recognized that someone was sobbing inside, recognizing them instantly. They were Ryuji’s, causing her to knock on the door.

“Ryuji…It’s Ann, can you please open the door?” she said, trying to sound as nice as possible.

No response, she could hear the person who was inside was actively trying to muffle their sobs now.

“Akira and Makoto are here too, they’re really worried about you, as am I!”

Ann waited for a few more moments, before trying to open the door. When it wouldn’t budge she decided to take a bolder approach.

“I am barging in, he can’t be alone in there!” she told the others, causing both of them to look at her in shock as she prepared to force the door open.

“You can’t, that’s a violation of school policy! We’re going to get in so much trouble for this!” Makoto whined.

Ann ignored her as she threw her body weight against the door, causing it to open up. She could see that Ryuji had tried to clumsily barricade it with his bag, explaining why she hadn’t been able to open the door normally.

After scanning the restroom, she quickly found Ryuji sitting below the sink, looking like an absolute mess. His beating had been worse than she initially thought. Ryuji’s trousers were ripped open where the guy had kicked him and he looked like he was bleeding as she saw him clutching his leg in pain.

His hair was flattened by the soda, also staining his face and shirt, as he looked at them with an absolute look of terror in his eyes.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji was terrified. Now that his friends saw him for what he really was, worthless and undeserving of their friendship, he was convinced they were going to leave him. No one wanted Ryuji around, the cafeteria scene had made that abundantly clear to him, his dad had all those years ago. He kept repeating to himself that he was going to be all alone again, as he clutched his leg in pain. He slowly looked at his friends. Ann seemed beside herself with worry, but he was sure she was just frustrated with him while Makoto looked stressed out. He couldn’t bear to look at Akira, he was so ashamed of himself, but when he eventually looked at him, he saw that the boy was looking upset, distraught even.

“Ryuji…” Ann muttered quietly, “what did they do to you?”

“It’s fine…don’t worry about it…” he responded, his voice sounding strained because of the pain he was in.

He noticed his friends slowly moving closer to him, causing him to flinch, which caused Ann and Makoto to stop moving. Akira made his way next to Ryuji though, crouching down next to him and touching his face. Ryuji could see that Akira was holding back tears as he heard him whispering an apology.

“Hey man…what are you apologizing for…?” Ryuji muttered, trying to smile at Akira.

Akira didn’t respond, he just threw his arms around Ryuji and embraced him closely. Causing Ryuji to stop pretending he was alright as he let the tears fall from his eyes.

“You’re not alone, Ryuji…we’re all here,” Akira told him soothingly. Ann and Makoto both quickly reaffirming it as they looked at Ryuji with worry.

After Ryuji calmed down a little, Ann and Akira helped him clean the soda off using wet paper towels while Makoto made sure no one else entered to restroom, barricading it with all of their bags this time. Ryuji knew she was constantly fretting about the consequences, which made him feel guilty. Makoto, and everyone else really, was risking her reputation just for his sake.

“Do you think you’re able to go back to class Ryuji?” Ann asked, causing Ryuji to realize that lunch break was almost over at this point. Ryuji nodded bravely, even though he did not want to go back to class. He really wanted to go home, but he wanted to be strong for his friends and show them nothing was wrong.

Both Akira and Ann raised their eyebrows in surprise, before Makoto removed the barricade.

When they left the restroom, the four of them were met with an unpleasant surprise almost immediately.

“Look, there’s that gay kid with his entourage!”

“Even the student council president is with them…How the mighty have fallen”

“It’s that other delinquent too, the criminal transfer student!”

“Isn’t that Takamaki? Figures she’s part of this too”

“Ryuji’s corrupting everyone!”

“Damn that Ryuji!”

“It’s all his fault!”

“They should know what’s good for them and just leave that worthless kid be before he ruins them!”

“Please…just stop…” Ryuji muttered, slowly feeling paralyzed by his anxiety again. There were so many people shouting at him and his friends now, and whenever he thought it was over it just started back up again.

Akira put his hand on his shoulder, standing protectively in front of him.

Ann, and even Makoto, looked as if they were ready to fight if they had to protect Ryuji.

“Leave Ryuji alone!” he could hear an angry Ann yell at the crowd.

“What did he ever do to you?” he heard Makoto say, her voice sounding stern and filled with authority.

The only thing that did was agitate the crowd further, as they started to insult the girls for standing up for Ryuji.

Ryuji felt helpless as he thought about his friends being bullied because of him. They should just listen to the crowd and leave him be, he didn’t want them to be hurt. Not because of someone as worthless as him.

Suddenly one of the guys from before stepped forward and swung his fist at Akira, causing him to fall to the ground.

“That’s what you get for siding with fuckin’ Ryuji” he yelled.

Ryuji looked at Akira, who was already getting back up and getting ready to fight back. Akira was on probation though, he couldn’t get into a fistfight with someone. He’d be send away to Juvie and that was something that Ryuji wouldn’t be able to live with, especially if he was the cause of it.

So Ryuji ran, he ran away, hoping the crowd would follow him and leave his friends alone. That was all he could do for them at this point. Drawing everyone away from them, protecting them from being hurt. He stumbled a lot as he was running, his leg was still bleeding and it was getting worse, but as he managed to get away from the crowd, he saw it breaking apart before he turned around and ran away further.

Ryuji quickly left the school building, not caring that he would get in trouble for leaving during class, as he heard the bell signaling lunch break as over. He leaned against the wall inside the alley behind the school, breathing heavily as he suddenly saw three guys in front of him.

“You didn’t think you could get away from us, did you, you little bitch?” one of them spat venomously at Ryuji.

“No…” he said, gritting his teeth, not wanting to seem weak. He knew his voice was cracking with fear though.

“Are you scared?” another one of them asked, taunting Ryuji, before his fist made contact with Ryuji’s face. As Ryuji fell to the ground, he curled up as the guys started kicking him, telling himself he would get through this.

Eventually they stopped and ran away, presumably going back inside the school building, as they left Ryuji laying on the ground. Ryuji felt himself slowly lose consciousness.

It hurts…it hurts so bad, was the last thing he consciously thought before everything faded to black.

* * *

Ryuji woke up in the Nurse’s office, a crying Ann and worried Akira sitting next to his bedside. He noticed that Akira had being crying as well, his eyes being red and puffy and his glasses being nowhere to be found.

Seeing his friends like that filled him with guilt. Ryuji wanted to tell them he was alright, but what he wanted to say came out as a groan instead.

It grabbed their attention immediately though, looking at him while a look of relief washed over their faces.

“Ryuji…We were so worried about you!” Ann yelled, immediately coming over to hug him after wiping the tears from her eyes.

Akira followed her quickly, immediately moved to Ryuji’s bedside, sitting next to him on the bed and grabbing his hand.

“What…time is it?” Ryuji muttered.

“School’s over now Ryuji, if that’s what you’re wondering about,” Akira told him, trying to smile, “Makoto went to the hideout to tell the others about what happened.”

“What…happened?” Ryuji repeated slowly. The last thing he remembered was being beaten in the alley behind the school.

Akira cleared his throat before he started explaining: “After you ran away, the crowd quickly dispersed and we started to look for you. Even Makoto ignored the fact that lunch time was over, muttering something about how friends were more important than her perfect record. Eventually me and Ann found you in the alley behind school, bleeding and unconscious. We carried you inside, which was quite difficult considering we didn’t want to attract more negative attention, and brought you here. Miss Kawakami helped us get you here, when she noticed we weren’t in class. She’s really worried about you too, as we all are.”

Ryuji nodded slightly after Akira finished explaining, before taking a good look at him. His face was slightly bruised from the punch and when Ryuji looked into Akira’s eyes he could see that they were filled with worry. It made him feel incredibly guilty. Akira felt like this because of him. Everyone else did too, as Akira had just explained to him, even Miss Kawakami who always told him off for being a delinquent. It was all Ryuji’s fault, like things always were.

“I want to go effin’ home…” Ryuji managed to say, causing Ann and Akira to look at him in surprise.

“Well, the nurse said you could go, you miraculously didn’t break anything, but…” Ann said, her voice filled with worry.

“So I can go then?” Ryuji insisted, not wanting to burden Ann and Akira any longer. He just wanted to be alone now, feeling like that’s how it should be.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me Ryuji? My parents are working abroad, you know? Akira can stay too and we can just have a fun night together,” Ann suggested, sounding hopeful.

“I’m fine, just leave me be, okay?” Ryuji responded bluntly. He didn’t want to see the hurt look on Ann’s face, but he knew he had hurt both her and Akira by saying that, as he got up from the bed.

Standing up hurt, and walking hurt even more, but Ryuji resolved he would somehow manage to get home as he swung his bag over his shoulder and stumbled down the hallway.

“At least let us take you to the station…” he could hear Akira mumbling, to which Ryuji grunted, looking away from him and Ann.

He couldn’t look at either of their faces, knowing it would upset him and break his resolve to save them from himself.

The walk to the station was painfully awkward, since no one really knew what to say, causing them to walk to the station in silence. When Akira tried to hold Ryuji’s hand, Ryuji pulled away. He couldn’t hold Akira’s hand right now, he just couldn’t. Hoping Akira would understand, Ryuji quickly said his goodbyes when they reached the train station, stumbling to his train’s platform, leaving Ann and Akira worriedly staring after him.

* * *

When Ryuji opened the door to his apartment, he hoped his mother wasn’t home. He did not want her to see him like this. He had to properly bandage his leg and clean himself before she got home. The first thing he did was take a shower to get the soda, dirt and blood off of him, before getting ready to change into more comfortable clothes. He took a look at his leg and winced at the wound, bandaging it before putting a pair of sweatpants on.

Afterwards he decided to go into the kitchen to make himself something easy to eat, but quickly realized he couldn’t be bothered, deciding to make himself some instant ramen before going back to his room.

He moved a stack of his favorite manga to his bed to distract himself before comfortably positioning himself on top of it. He once again cleaned the wound and reapplied the bandaging to his leg, having prior experience doing that, before making sure it was resting properly.

When he looked at his phone, he saw he had missed a couple of messages, but before he could look at them to respond he was hit by a wave of negative thoughts, causing him to drop his phone on the rug next to his bed.

Ryuji could see the entire day flash in front of his eyes. The looks on his friends’ faces and how everyone else told him he wasn’t worth it, before they turned on his friends. They were probably right too. Akira, Ann and Makoto got bullied because he was there. If he would just disappear from their lives, they wouldn’t be bullied anymore. Ryuji could feel tears pricking in his eyes at this point, letting them flow out soon after. What was the point of keeping them in? Who was he proving something to anymore? He was a mess, he had been a mess since his father left and he had finally reached his breaking point. As Ryuji started to slip deeper and deeper into his desperation he didn’t notice that his phone was relentlessly buzzing with new messages. “You’re not alone, Ryuji” Akira had told him, but Ryuji knew that couldn’t be the truth. He had to be alone, so that he wouldn’t hurt others anymore.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

> **Ann has changed the subject to “Ryuji’s Squad”**
> 
> **Ann > **See that Ryuji, we all support you? :)
> 
> **Futaba > **im so pissed, give me their names ryuji
> 
> **Futaba > **ill hack them so bad they’ll regret ever messing with you
> 
> **Futaba > **:V
> 
> **Yusuke > **Ryuji, I am truly astounded by what transpired today.
> 
> **Yusuke > **If it helps, you can talk to me whenever you prefer.
> 
> **Haru >** I am so sorry I didn’t notice Ryuji, I would have been right there to support you with the rest.
> 
> **Haru > **I can’t believe those uncouth people messed with you!
> 
> **Haru > **You should have lunch with me on the roof from now on, I’ll make it a safe place for you.
> 
> **Makoto > **I am sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up Ryuji.
> 
> **Makoto > **I hope you’re okay and I will make sure the people who did this to you get punished.
> 
> **Akira > **Ryuji, please answer us…
> 
> **Akira > **We’re really worried about you.
> 
> **Akira > **I am really worried about you.

When Akira woke up, he looked at the group chat again. Feeling even more distraught when he saw Ryuji still hadn’t responded.

“Is Ryuji okay?” Morgana asked. It was rare for the cat to say anything nice about Ryuji, let alone show concern for him, so even he must have sensed it was serious.

Akira just shook his head, he wasn’t sure what to think anymore. He had failed Ryuji, he couldn’t protect him when Ryuji needed him the most. He should have done more, even if he didn’t know what that meant.

“Akira…”

“Akira, please open up!”

To Akira’s shock Ann was standing in front of LeBlanc. It was still really early in the morning, so she must have gotten up incredibly early to get to him.

As Akira opened the door, he could see that Ann’s face had tearstains on it.

“I think Ryuji’s spiraling…we need to go to him…” she muttered, pointing at her phone which showed an anxiety-inducing text:

> **Ryuji > **I’m sorry for causing you trouble, I’ll stay out of your way from now on. Can you do me one last favor and tell Akira I really loved him? I can’t face him myself, I’m not worth it. And thank you Ann, for being my friend.

After reading the text, Akira suddenly felt really dizzy. This wasn’t happening. There was no way this was happening.

“Makoto’s covering for us at school, let’s find Ryuji” Ann urged him, as they ran towards the station, praying they could find Ryuji before he did anything stupid...

* * *

When they arrived at Ryuji’s place, they knocked on the door after trying to open it.

“Ryuji?” Ann yelled, panicking when he didn’t respond.

“Do you know where they keep the spare key?” Akira asked, trying his hardest to stay level-headed. He was freaking out, Ryuji was in trouble. They weren’t even sure he was still at his house and they couldn’t even check.

“Oh yes, I do know that!” Ann responded, quickly returning with the key and unlocking the door.

They braced themselves when they went inside, quickly seeing there was one breakfast bowl next to the sink. Ann explained that it was probably belonged to Ryuji’s mom as she had to leave for work early in the morning.

Ann led Akira to Ryuji’s room, deciding that was the most likely place he would be, and when they opened the door both of them were shocked at the scene in front of them.

They found a tear-stained Ryuji rocking back and forth as if he was trying to comfort himself. He kept muttering that it was all his fault, seemingly not noticing their presence.

“Akira…we have to do something…” Ann muttered to him, her voice sounding desperate, as Akira tried his hardest not to freak out himself.

“A…Akira…?” Ryuji suddenly muttered, sounding more than a little broken, immediately catching Akira’s attention. “You…came for me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d say I hope you guys enjoyed, but considering what happened, I don’t blame you if you didn’t >.<  
> I was originally gonna end it at Ryuji’s text, but that felt a bit too cruel, especially considering what it implies.
> 
> This was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever written. I had to take more breaks than usual while I was writing it, because it hit a bit to close to home at points.  
> It was really tough to have Ryuji go through this, but the next chapter will definitely end on a happier note, so don't worry too much.  
> Ryuji deserves happiness, and he’ll get a little of that soon.  
> I’m also trying to foreshadow some plot points and characters, I wonder if you guys can guess? :3  
> Also I hope you enjoy the small Ann & Akira PoV’s in the chapter, I’ll insert more of that later on.
> 
> Next chapter will immediately pick up where this one ended and will be titled “Safer”, so stay tuned! 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated, would love what you guys think since this was really challenging to write for me ^.^
> 
> (Still terrible at notes, getting used to it though!)


	3. Safer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the bullying incident, Ann and Akira go to Ryuji’s house, finding in him in a state of shock. They talk and comfort him, causing Ryuji to reveal a secret that could have a lasting impact…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set right after where (actually slightly before) last chapter ends, this chapter will focus on what happens after Akira and Ann find Ryuji. It was a lot nicer to write this as I don’t have to make Ryuji suffer. It’s still pretty heavy on the anxiety though, just with tons of comfort added in. Most of this will be written from Ryuji’s PoV, but there’s two paragraphs where Ann takes the lead. That’ll make sense though :P

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji was alone in his room. He didn’t even know what time it was as he tried to hold onto himself for comfort. He had woken up, forcing himself to walk into the living room before he realized that his mom had already left for work. Not wanting to do anything, he moved back to his bed, limping as his leg still hurt, as he was overcome by his anxiety. Before completely losing himself in his thoughts, he picked up his phone, sending a text to Ann telling her that she and the others didn’t need to bother with him anymore.

It was all his fault. Everything that ever happened to him was all his fault. His dad leaving, the Kamoshida incident, the bullying from the day before, his friends being bullied. All the bad things repeatedly flashed in front of Ryuji’s eyes before he decided he should just stay in bed all day, like the worthless piece of shit he was. What was the point of doing anything anymore?

“Ryuji?” he thought he heard Ann’s voice calling for him, before deciding he must have imagined it. Ann wouldn’t come to save him from himself, no one would. Thoughts plaguing him as he curled up once more and started crying to himself.

Moments later he heard the door of his room open. At first he didn’t bother to look, but eventually his curiosity got the better of him as he looked up.

To his surprise, there were people standing there, people he really cared about. Ann and Akira were right there in front of him, looking more than just a little upset. Not knowing what to say, he slowly muttered Akira’s name.

“You…came for me?” he managed to say, before he collapsed into sobs once again.

* * *

Akira moved as if he was driven by instinct, rushing over to Ryuji and wrapping his arms tightly around him, kissing his hair.

“I’m sorry, Ryu…” he could hear Akira say, “I’m sorry for not protecting you.”

He felt Akira’s tears drop onto his head, as he noticed that Ann had made their way over to them as well, quickly taking a hold of Ryuji’s hand.

“Don’t you ever send me a text like that again, okay?” she muttered with tears in her eyes. “I thought you were…I thought you were not going to be here anymore you idiot!” she shouted as she started crying before she wrapped her arms around Ryuji as well.

Ryuji didn’t understand what was going on, the two most important people in his life aside from his mom where here. His boyfriend and his best friend, clinging to him as if he was important to them.

“Why…” he stammered, “why are you two even here…?”

Neither of them responded, as they hugged him even tighter causing Ryuji to wonder if they were trying to tell him something. He couldn’t figure out what it was though, anxiety still plaguing his mind.

“I told you…I told you guys that I would leave you alone…Why didn’t you stay away? You don’t need me…You deserve better than me Akira…Ann, you’re a model, you can have any best friend you want…I’m just a good for nothing delinquent, always causing everyone trouble…I’m effin’ worthless, so please…please don’t hurt yourself by being around me…” Ryuji managed to mutter before he started to cry again.

Ann and Akira looked up at him, their faces filled with shock.

“Ryuji…” they both stammered, before they looked at each other, seemingly deciding who would go and tell Ryuji it was over first. Ryuji was sure of it…he had convinced them to stay away from him. They would be safer that way.

“We don’t want anyone else!” they said in unison, both of them unable to wait any longer, shocking Ryuji greatly.

“What the hell?” he muttered, unable to hide his confusion.

“I think you two need some time alone before I join in, shall I make us some tea? That’s okay, right, Ryuji?” Ann said, trying to lighten the mood, with a glimmer in her eye, as if she was planning something.

Ryuji’s mind wasn’t able to focus on that though, still unable to comprehend what was going on. None of this made sense.

* * *

As Ann left the room, Akira moved closer to Ryuji on the bed, pulling Ryuji against him.

“Can we talk? Like actually talk, Ryuji?” he asked softly while moving his hand through Ryuji’s hair.

“If you want…” Ryuji muttered, still unsure how he was supposed to feel. He didn’t understand what was happening. He was so convinced he was meant to be alone, but here Akira was, feeling the other boy’s warm body pressed against his.

Having Akira’s body this close to his made him calm down as he could feel the heat radiate off of him.

“Can you tell me what you’re thinking about? I just want to know what you feel, so I would really like it if you’re honest with me,” Akira told him, sounding like he was trying to word his thoughts as delicately as possible.

“Just…really confused man…” Ryuji muttered, trying not to lose himself in the comfort Akira was offering him. It felt good, it made him feel good, a feeling he thought he had lost forever after what happened the day before.

“What are you confused about?” Akira asked him as he pulled his hand out of Ryuji’s hair. Adjusting himself so he was looking him directly in the eye now.

“Please tell me Ryu, I really care about you…” Akira sounded slightly more desperate now, as if Ryuji thinking about his question unsettled him.

“That…the hell’s that supposed to mean? How can you care about me?!” Ryuji yelled, hoping Ann didn’t hear him. He did not want her to hear that.

Akira looked at him with a sad expression on his face before pulling Ryuji even closer to him.

“That’s been bothering you, huh?” he sighed, “I thought we talked about it before…”

“I’m sorry…I just…” Ryuji muttered before Akira cut him off.

“I care about you because you’re you, Ryuji. You pretend you’re a bad boy, but you’re really kind. You always put others in front of yourself, even if it hurts you. You always try to make people smile when you see they’re down, making a fool of yourself if you have to. You’re not the brightest, but you’re determined and you usually never give up on anything or anyone. You light up my day whenever you walk into the room and you have done ever since the day I met you.”

Ryuji felt his face getting increasingly red as Akira was talking and when he finished, looking at him longingly, he felt like he was about to explode. Instinctively he leaned forward to kiss Akira, catching the other boy by surprise before he reciprocated the kiss.

* * *

“Okay, this was not what I was expecting to come back to!” Ann yelled, sounding partially startled after walking in on Ryuji and Akira kissing, causing them to break apart awkwardly.

“Feeling better then Ryuji?” she asked, recomposing herself, while she smiled at him.

He quickly nodded, before saying: “A little bit, yeah. Do you want to move to the living room? I know my room’s a mess…”

“If you want to, I can also bring the tea in. Whatever you prefer!” she said, as she continued smiling, causing Ryuji to wonder just how much she had seen.

“Let’s get movin’ then!” Ryuji yelled, trying to sound excited, but the moment he tried to stand up the pain in his leg flared up again. Both Akira and Ann grabbed ahold of him before he could fall over, carefully. After insisting he still wanted to move to the living room, Akira helped him walk there, while Ann made sure he didn’t accidentally trip or hurt himself.

* * *

When they settled in the living room Ann handed both of them a steaming cup of tea. “I don’t know how you guys like it, so I made it extra sweet,” she said, before deciding to change the subject.

“Can we talk about you now, Ryuji? I’m really concerned about you…”

Ryuji nodded, signaling Ann that she could start asking him questions as he tried to grab Akira’s arm for comfort, since he was sitting right next to him. Akira noticed and moved closer to him, allowing Ryuji to lean against him. Ann smiled, realizing that the two of them definitely had a good talk while she was in the kitchen making tea. After they found Ryuji, she quickly realized that he needed Akira more than he needed her, deciding to make tea as an excuse to give them some time alone. She also needed to let their friends know he was alright, so it was a win-win situation, really.

She was happy for them, that they had found each other. They complemented each other well, now that she was giving it some thought. Akira’s calm and collected nature worked well to balance out Ryuji’s more hotheaded and rash tendencies and while Akira seemed to have a hard time joking around, Ryuji was always able to joke around and put a smile on Akira’s face. Ann knew these were just superficial observations, but she smiled at herself nevertheless. She was glad they managed to get together, hoping that one day she would find someone herself so that she would stop feeling that sense of loneliness she sometimes felt.

* * *

“Why did you text me that…message, Ryuji?” Ann muttered, carefully deciding what words to use. “I thought you…you were going to do something really bad to yourself.”

Ryuji looked at her in confusion for a moment, but realizing what she meant, she had thought he was going to put an end to it all.

“Ann…I’m sorry for being an effin’ idiot…I didn’t mean it like that that…I could never do that man!” he stammered, starting to feel guilty for upsetting them with what he implied.

“I’m sorry for always screwing up…you guys are the best for putting up with me…” he continued, before quietly adding, “not that I deserve it…”

“What was that, Ryuji?” Ann said immediately, sounding both irritated and worried as Ryuji could feel Akira’s grip tighten around his arm.

He looked at Akira, who looked at him, as he saw a pained expression coloring his face.

“Did you even believe a word of what I told you before, Ryuji?” he said, looking away from Ryuji’s gaze.

“I…I don’t know…” Ryuji stammered, feeling slowly overwhelmed by his emotions again. He didn’t know what to think anymore. Ann and Akira were here, clearly caring enough about him to skip school to help him.

“Move over” Ann said, moving next to Akira and Ryuji on the couch so that Ryuji was sitting in-between them now.

“Can you tell us, Ryuji? Can you tell us why it’s so hard for you to accept we want you around?” she said, sounding like she was phrasing her words very carefully, causing it to become painfully obvious to Ryuji both Ann and Akira were trying really hard not to upset him. Even someone as dense as him could see that.

“It’s not just that…” Ryuji muttered. He wanted to tell them the truth, or at least what he thought was going on, but could he really tell them?

“There’s more?” Akira asked, sounding really concerned now causing Ryuji to realize that he couldn’t back out anymore.

“I told you guys…about my freakin’ dad, right?” Ryuji started, having decided to tell Ann and Akira everything, they had come for him, causing him to feel like he owed them as much.

Both of them nodded, causing Ryuji to continue as he tried his hardest not to start crying:

“Before he left…he would beat mom sometimes…I tried stopping him, but he would tell me I’m worthless and unable to do anything…I’ve always felt like that, even after he left.

I could never do anything to protect my mom, or you guys for that matter. I just want people to not go through the shit I had to endure y’know? After my dad there was Kamoshida, who told me I was worthless too…

Y’know what the funny thing is? If people tell you that bullshit enough, you start to believe it…”

Ryuji let out a sob at this point, unable to hold his tears in as Ann and Akira had somehow managed to both hug him closely at the same time.

“I’ve always felt like I was worthless…just an effin’ piece of shit, y’know? Not good enough for friends…I thought I deserved the way people treated me. I acted like a delinquent, but I was honestly just scared, scared that people would keep bullying me. At least when they thought I was trouble they would leave me alone…”

“Ryuji…” Ann muttered, trying her hardest to hold back her own tears before letting him continue his story.

“After being alone for so long, I started to think it was normal y’know? Like I was meant to be an effin’ loner or something…Like…I wasn’t good enough to be held or…or have anyone…hug…me…” Ryuji stammered before breaking down, realizing that right now he was being hugged by two of the people he cared about the most, something he had longed for for a very long time.

Ann let go off him so Akira could pull him against his chest, causing Ryuji’s tears to freely flow as Ann put her hand on his back for comfort.

“It’s okay, Ryu…” Akira told him. “Let it all out, we’re here for you and I promise you, you’re never going to be alone again.”

“I need effin’ help man…I’m a mess. I’m a freakin’ mess…please don’t leave me…” Ryuji muttered between his cries.

“We won’t leave you Ryuji…” Ann said reassuringly, wiping the tears from her eyes, as Ryuji buried his face in Akira’s chest.

“B…but…” Ryuji muttered before Akira pulled him closer to comfort him.

* * *

He could hear Ann telling Akira that they needed to do something, but he couldn’t hear the details as he was too caught up in his thoughts. Having Akira and Ann here helped though, as he could feel Akira’s chest move up and down while he was breathing. It comforted him greatly, eventually being able to stop crying.

As he tilted his head back up from Akira’s chest, he saw that Akira and Ann both hadn’t moved. They were still close to him, holding him as if their lives depended on it.

“Ryuji…there’s something we want to talk to you about…but you have to promise to hear us out,” Ann said while she looked him straight in the eye, causing Ryuji to get worried. What did they talk about while he was crying?

“It’s not anything bad, Ryu, don’t worry about it,” Akira told him, as he stroked Ryuji’s hair, “trust me, okay?”

Ryuji nodded to them, getting ready for what they were about to say. He wanted to believe that they wanted to help him, but he still instinctively felt like they were going to give him bad news.

“Have you ever…considered talking to someone? Like a professional?” Ann asked, sounding unsure. Ryuji felt really taken aback by her question, almost offended.

“The hell…” he muttered, frustrated at the notion that they thought he needed professional help.

“Like a therapist or a counselor, someone who knows how to help you through your issues,” Akira explained, assuming Ryuji didn’t understand what they meant.

“So…you guys don’t want to freakin’ help me after all, huh?” Ryuji shouted, sounding more aggressive than he intended as he saw both Akira and Ann tense up.

“No, it’s not like…” Ann started, before Akira cut her off, surprising her.

“Ryuji, listen to me. You said it yourself, that you needed help, right?”

Ryuji felt himself nod to Akira’s question, he just couldn’t keep the truth from Akira, giving him the signal to continue.

“We want to help you. I’ll personally go with you to all your appointments if you want, I just think that we can’t give you the help you need. Not without outside help…”

“I’ll come too if you need me!” he heard Ann chirp in, obviously trying to ease Ryuji into the idea.

* * *

Ryuji didn’t want to hear any of it though. He knew they were right, but he didn’t want to admit it. Admit that he was a mess. He knew he said it before, but that was when he was crying. Now that he was in a slightly better state of mind, he didn’t want to say it again. That is, until Akira caught him completely off-guard, looking at him with tears in his eyes.

“Please, Ryu…Seeing you like this hurts so much, and I can’t do this on my own. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for suggesting this, but I know it can help you. Don’t think we don’t want to help you, because we do and we’ll be there every step of the way…”

Ryuji looked at Akira, who seemed to try his hardest to hold back his own tears now, as he tried to comprehend how much he meant to him. Akira cared about him so much and while Ryuji still had trouble accepting that, he could see it. He could see in Akira’s eyes that Akira was genuine and when he looked at Ann he saw the same, she cared a lot about him too.

At that point, Ryuji heard his phone buzz , forgetting he had put it on the kitchen table after texting Ann in the morning.

“You should look at that Ryuji…” Ann told him, before she wrapped her arm around Akira to comfort him. Akira looked as if he was about to breakdown, causing Ryuji to momentarily wonder if there was something Akira wasn’t telling him.

He nevertheless decided to do as Ann told him, carefully walking towards the table to get his phone. He was still limping, but walking was a bit less painful. When he looked at his phone, he was overwhelmed by the amount of messages he saw in the group chat. After skimming through the ones from the day before, he realized that his friends had been texting them all morning. Even Makoto had been texting during class, shocking him.

> **Makoto > **Did you find Ryuji? Please tell me he’s okay.
> 
> **Futaba > **omg ryuji, i swear ill hurt you if you do anything! :V
> 
> **Yusuke > **Ryuji, I’m so sorry. I wish you had informed me of your troubles…
> 
> **Haru > **Ryuji-kun please be alright…
> 
> **Ann > **We found him. Akira’s talking to him now, he’s in bad shape though…
> 
> **Makoto > **Oh no…Please take care of him and tell me if you need anything.
> 
> **Makoto > **School’s fine, I took care of that, don’t worry!
> 
> **Futaba > **…
> 
> **Futaba > **ryuji, we’ll play tons of video games if you get better, don’t worry!
> 
> **Yusuke > **This news deeply upsets me. Is there anything I can do?
> 
> **Haru > **Ann-chan, please take care of him with Akira-kun. We’ll be there soon.
> 
> **Ann > **Thanks guys, but I don’t think Ryuji needs more people right now though.
> 
> **Makoto > **We can’t all skip school either, we’ll draw attention to ourselves.
> 
> **Ann > **Also what Makoto said.
> 
> **Ann > **I’ll let you guys know if we need anything though.

Ryuji saw that there was a break between messages at that point, realizing that the conversation must’ve taken place while Ann was making them tea. When he looked at his phone again he saw there were 4 more messages, one from each of his friends, specifically directed at him.

> **Makoto > **Ryuji, I am not sure if I ever stated this, but I’m glad to have met you. Sure you’re rash and really not someone I ever thought I would get along with, but you’re a great friend and really loyal. If you read this, please tell me you’re alright. I can’t focus like this, I need to know you’re alright.
> 
> **Yusuke > **Dear Ryuji, I know we don’t interact much, but I want you to know that I value the time I got to spend with you. You are a kind-hearted soul and I am deeply sorry if I offended you by never offering you to model for me. I sincerely hope we can become closer, as I regret not getting to know you more.
> 
> **Haru > **Ryuji-kun, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but you are one of the most curious fellows I ever met. You’ve got such a big heart, always helping me carry soil for my planters, even when we barely knew each other and I genuinely always enjoy your company. I really want to know if you’re alright, so please tell us…
> 
> **Futaba** > dammit im really bad at this, but ryuji, you’re a good bro and i still wanna play games with you. we’re into the same stuff too (i may have hacked into your accounts to find out, sorry) so im sorry for not telling you. let’s play stuff together soon, okay? please say something!

Ryuji felt tears coming on once more as he read each of the messages. He had friends who cared about him. As he brushed the tears from his eyes, he moved back to the couch, where Akira and Ann were waiting for him. They moved over to let him sit in-between them once more, which made Ryuji happy for some reason he didn’t quite understand.

“Did you guys…know?” Ryuji asked.

“Actually, I just read them myself…I knew they were going to be good though,” Ann admitted before adding, “honestly, I think everyone would be here right now if me and Makoto hadn’t stopped them,” with a smile.

Akira then cleared his throat, catching Ryuji off-guard, before he looked at Ryuji once more.

“Everyone cares, Ryuji…and everyone wants to help you, but you have to help yourself too…and talking to someone is a part of that…” Akira looked away as he added the last part, clearly afraid of Ryuji’s reaction.

“I would man…honestly, but I got no money for to see an effin' professional…” Ryuji muttered, ashamed he had to bring up his financial situation into this. Akira didn’t seem fazed by that though, surprising Ryuji. He wasn’t planning on paying for Ryuji’s therapy sessions, was he?

“I’ve got a free alternative,” Akira said with a sly smile on his face, “do you trust me enough to try that?”

Ryuji slowly nodded, unsure what he was getting himself into. He trusted Akira though…and if Akira thought it was better for him, maybe he was right. He figured he could at least try if it made Akira happy.

Ann then reminded him that he should text the others back, causing him to focus back on his phone for a moment.

> **Ryuji > **im sorry for worrying you guys…
> 
> **Ryuji > **im doing a bit better now…
> 
> **Ryuji > **still alive n’ kickin’

It only took a couple of seconds for replies to start flooding in.

> **Haru > **I’m so glad you’re alright Ryuji-kun. I’ll come visit as soon as you’re able to have visitors.
> 
> **Futaba > **1v1 me ryuji, i won’t go easy on you tho!
> 
> **Yusuke > **I am truly happy to hear this, Ryuji. Shall we make a modelling appointment then? I cannot wait to paint your strong, explosive posture.
> 
> **Makoto > **You really scared all of us, Ryuji. Can you promise us to not do it again?
> 
> **Ryuji > **yes, makoto, im sorry again.
> 
> **Makoto > **Just don’t do it again, alright? I am truly glad you’re alright though.

* * *

 Suddenly Ryuji’s phone rang, causing the three of them to look at it in surprise as Ryuji almost dropped it on the floor.

“Yo, it’s Ryuji speaking!” Ryuji said, answering the phone, trying to sound as casual as circumstances would allow.

“Hi Ryu-kun, it’s your mom,” Ryuji heard his mother say on the other side of the phone.

“I’m so sorry dear, but I have to take another night shift tonight, so I won’t be home until tomorrow. Are you sure you’ll be alright for dinner?” she asked him, sounding slightly worried.

“I’ll be fine mom, don’t worry ‘bout me” Ryuji said, trying to sound confident to his mom worry less about him. He knew she was probably sensing something was up with him and well, she wouldn’t be wrong.

“He’ll be fine Miss Sakamoto! We’ll take care of him!” he could hear Ann shout in the background.

“Is that Ann Takamaki?” his mother asked in surprise.

“Yeah, we’re sitting in the cafeteria right now,” Ryuji answered. He felt bad for lying to his mom, but he didn’t want her to know he wasn’t at school.

“I see, you should really bring her home sometime Ryuji, she used to come over so much when you were in middle school. I swear you used to have a little crush on her!”

“I’ll bring her home again sometime, mom.” Ryuji told her, ignoring the part about the little crush.

“You should bring your other friend too, what’s his name again? Oh Akira! The one you talk about a lot!”

“I’ll bring him too…”

“Great, when I get a day off, you should invite them both over for a fun Sakamoto-style dinner! I’ll cook for all of you!” Ryuji heard his mom say happily, causing him to feel a little guilty. He didn’t ever bring friends home anymore even though he knew his mom loved it when he did it.

“I will mom…” he muttered, as he saw Ann and Akira look at him with a confused look on their faces.

“Alright Ryu-kun. I have to go now, I love you and I’m sorry again for not being home tonight…”

“It’s okay mom, I love you too,” hearing his mom end the call as he put his phone back on the table.

* * *

“What was that about Ryuji?” Ann asked inquisitively as both she and Akira looked at him.

“Just my mom telling me I’ll be home alone till tomorrow,” he told her before adding, “it’s no big deal, it happens a lot!” when he saw the worried looks on their faces.

“You’re coming with me tonight then!” Ann said, determination having filled her voice.

“I honestly agree, I don’t want you to be alone right now,” Akira added, looking at him with a serious look on his face.

Deep down Ryuji knew they were right. He shouldn’t be alone right now, he’ll just get stuck in his thoughts again and who knows what would happen if that happens? Could he really bother Ann with his presence all night though?

“Before you even think about being a bother Ryuji, I offered you this. Besides, Akira is coming too!” Ann told him, as if she could read his thoughts.

“Hey, don’t go deciding things for me!” Akira said with an exasperated look on his face, causing Ryuji to feel sad. Akira didn’t want to spend the night with him and Ann, he figured. Not that he really blamed him.

“I’ll come if Sojiro allows me too, I’m still on probation, remember?” Akira said, clearly being affected by the sad look on Ryuji’s face, smiling at him as Ryuji tried his hardest to smile back.

* * *

Ann’s face lighted up when she realized both of them were staying with her.

“You won’t regret it guys! I’ve got all kinds of movies and snacks and we can get pizza and it’ll be really fun!” she rambled excitedly, causing both boys to look at each other, taken aback by Ann's sudden excitement.

“You do realize we have school tomorrow, right Ann?” Akira muttered, seeming slightly uncomfortable with her idea.

“Of course, of course! Which is why we should go right now. I’ll help you pack your things Ryuji. Then we can pass by LeBlanc on the way to my house and ask Sojiro while picking up your stuff Akira!” she answered, still sounding really excited.

Both Ryuji and Akira shrugged at this point, deciding to go along with it. Ann seemed really happy about them coming over too, so why ruin her fun? What could possibly go wrong anyways?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally the chapter wasn't going to end here, but it was getting way too long, causing me to rewrite the ending for this chapter and post the aftermath as the next one (up in a couple of days, probably).  
> I hope I got into the other characters alright, as it was my first time writing Futaba and Yusuke for more than 1 sentence.  
> I really loved writing this, as Ryuji truly deserves to be loved and I really tried to show that all his friends care about him.
> 
> There’s also hints for both Akira and Ann’s arcs here (decided to give them both one, not as big as Ryuji’s since he’s obviously the main character, but they both ended up as really important side characters. Especially Ann having a bigger role than I originally intended). There’ll be an overarching theme between the 3 arcs too, so please look forward to that ^_^
> 
> Next time, we’ll pick up where we left off with chapter 4, Ryuji’s Long Night, which will be pretty light-hearted, giving Ryuji a break (despite the title) before things pick up again (see it as a bridge chapter, if you will).
> 
> As always, hope you guys enjoyed and leave a kudo/comment if you want :) Would love to hear what you guys think!


	4. Ryuji's Long Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Akira and Ann comfort Ryuji and succeed in calming him down, Ann invites him and Akira to sleep over at her house where multiple surprises are waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, I know I promised you guys a breather, but I couldn’t help myself >.< While it's definitely still super fluffy, it does have it's heavy moments.  
> Unlike last chapter though, it's mainly Ann and Akira going through some angst of their own this time, all for the sake of character development xP  
> Chapter focuses more on them than I usually do as well, but considering I'm using this chapter as a bridge between the previous one and the next, I figured I could use it as an opportunity to develop them. Futaba and Yusuke also get their proper introductions in the story here :P

**Ann Takamaki**

Ann was over the moon as she, together with Akira and Ryuji, arrived at her apartment.

They had dropped by Leblanc before, and after some convincing Sojiro agreed to let Akira stay at her place for the night. Akira quickly went to his room to get his things while she and Ryuji casually chatted with Sojiro. He was telling them about the different types of coffee beans he used when Akira came back down, a bag draped over his shoulder, signaling he was ready to go.

She was happy to have her friends stay over, having been lonely inside the apartment ever since her parents went abroad for work. Her father, being a diplomat, had to travel abroad often for his job and the older Ann got the more her mother went with him. Her mother often told her that she was a big girl now and that she ought to be able to take care of herself. She could take care of herself too, that wasn’t the problem, it just made her feel lonely since the apartment was really spacious and after what happened to Shiho no one really came by anymore.

Wanting to cheer Ryuji, and Akira who seemed to be struggling too, up Ann had concocted a special plan for the rest of the day. Once school was out, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were going to come over in pairs to help make Ryuji feel better. Everyone had been up for it, considering they were still really worried about him and wanted to see how he was doing. Besides, Ann figured that having his friends around would be good for him, it always helped her at the very least.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji forgot how big Ann’s apartment was. He came over a couple of times back when they were friends in middle school, but his memories of those times were blurry at best. Ann showed them around, considering it was Akira’s first time there as Ryuji looked around in wonder.

They took their shoes off when they entered the apartment before Ann guided them towards the living room, a spacious room decorated mostly with white furniture. A kitchen island and a dinner table in the far back.

Ann took them to her room next, decorated with pink wallpaper, hearts and tons of fluffy stuffed animals. Her bed was huge, they could easily fit on it with the three of them, but Ryuji could see that Ann had put bedding on the futon as well, causing him to momentarily wonder if she had been planning this.

“You two can have my bed tonight, I’ll sleep on the futon” she told them with a smile on her face, catching Ryuji by surprise. Ann was a nice girl, she’d been really good to him lately, but for her to offer up her own bed like that seemed off to him somehow.

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Akira asked, sounding as surprised as Ryuji was.

“Of course it is, you’re my best friends and I invited you here!” she responded, before continuing the tour around her apartment, showing them the bathroom and telling them her parents’ room and study were off-limits to them. Not that they could get in, she explained. Her parents had locked both rooms and taken the keys with them abroad.

Suddenly there was a rumbling noise, causing Ryuji to turn red as Akira and Ann looked at him.

“I, um, haven’t eaten a thing since yesterday” he said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“You should’ve said so while we were at Leblanc, Sojiro probably would’ve made you some curry,” Akira told him, sounding a little concerned, “you really have to take care of yourself Ryu…”

“Sorry man, I’ll keep it in mind!” he responded, trying to throw a smile at Akira to lessen his worries.

“We can make some sandwiches, I’m actually pretty hungry myself!” Ann chimed in, before leading them back to the kitchen.

* * *

“School must be out by now, huh?” Ryuji asked as they were eating the sandwiches they made.

“I guess so,” Akira responded stoically, causing Ryuji to wonder if Akira was annoyed for missing school. Akira was more focused on his studies than he was and he didn’t want Akira to be unable to do so because of him.

“I’m sorry you missed a day of school ‘cause of me…” Ryuji started, before Akira shushed him.

“No more guilt tripping yourself Ryuji, it was our choice,” he told him, sounding serious.

Ryuji figured that Akira was probably right, before realizing that Ann had been quiet ever since they made the sandwiches. It had mostly been him and Akira talking, while Ann seemed busy sorting through her mail.

“Thanks for the sandwiches Ann! They’re really good!” he told her, trying to grab her attention.

Ann was absent-mindedly looking at a letter she seemed to have gotten today though.

“Sorry Ryuji, did you say something?” she asked him, realizing she must’ve seemed rude as he was staring her.

“I was just thanking ya for the food,” he told her before asking “so, what’s in the letter?” causing Akira to perk up as well, both of them looking at her inquisitively.

“Oh it’s nothing, don’t worry about it! Do you guys want something else?” she responded, quickly changing the subject while stuffing the letter into one of her pockets.

Ryuji figured he probably shouldn’t pry and decided to drop the subject, instead asking Ann if she had any instant noodles, he just loved that stuff. It wasn’t as good as ramen, but if he couldn’t get ramen noodles would have to do. The texture had to be good though, which is why he always left the water in the cup for exactly 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It took him tons of experimenting to find out the perfect texture for his noodles. Most people thought it was weird, but Ryuji was really fuzzy about his noodles.

Ann looked at him in surprise, before she told him that she didn’t have any noodles. Explaining that she didn’t like the stuff, causing Ryuji to look at her as if she said the most offensive thing ever, before quickly promising she would get some for the next time he came over putting a smile on the boy’s face.

* * *

That’s when the doorbell rang, causing Ann to immediately hop off her chair in excitement.

“It’s time for your surprise Ryuji!” she cheered as she quickly made her way towards the door.

“The hell? My what now?” Ryuji muttered in shock, before looking at Akira who seemed as surprised as he was, causing Ryuji to figure out that whatever this was, Akira hadn’t been a part of it.

“Oh Ryuji-kun, I am so happy to see you. I was so worried about you!” Ryuji heard moments later, as he saw Haru and Makoto making his way for him.

Both of them were still carrying their school bags, causing Ryuji to realize they probably went straight here after school finished.

“I did the thing you asked from me, Akira. She’s fine with it too, you just have to give her a call tonight. Does she know about us?” Makoto asked, turning to Akira the moment she came in, causing Ryuji to wonder what it was about.

Akira nodded at her quickly, causing Makoto to turn towards Ryuji her attention solely focused on him now.

“Ryuji…” she started off sternly, “don’t you dare sent Ann, or any of us, one of those messages again. We all thought you were going to end up dead. I couldn’t focus all day, I was too worried about you!”

Ryuji flinched from Makoto yelling at him, causing him to tense up and feel guilty, before muttering an apology.

“I’m glad you’re alright though, but seriously do us all a favor and don’t send a message like that again,” she added, the expression on her face softening.

“Yes, boss…” Ryuji said as he nodded, not wanting to endure more of Makoto’s wrath.

“I made you cheer-up cookies together with Mako-chan, Ryuji! It was really hard to make them without the teacher getting suspicious, but we were baking for our Home Economics class and decided to dedicate our baking to you,” Haru excitedly told him, as Makoto seemed to look away slightly embarrassed, before handing him a bag with cookies that were shaped like skulls, pirate ships and lightning bolts.

When Ryuji saw the cookies he smiled, it seemed like Haru and Makoto had put a lot of effort into them as Makoto explained that they had shaped them after things that reminded the two of them of Ryuji.

“I really hope you like them,” Haru told him, smiling at him hopefully.

“Go on, try one Ryuji,” Makoto added.

Ryuji chuckled at the thought of the always serious Makoto baking cookies for him with Haru as he took one of the skull-shaped cookies out of the bag. He took a good look at it, it reminded him of his Persona, before taking a bite. He quickly stuffed the entire cookie in his mouth afterwards.

“That’s reawwy good” he told them, still chewing on the cookie, causing the girls to look at him with a disgusted look on their faces as Akira started laughing.

“Mind your manners Ryuji, you’re around girls now!” Akira told him, still laughing.

“You mean you let him do that when you’re alone?” Makoto asked Akira with an exasperated look on her face.

“Yeah, I mean, isn’t he kinda cute like that? He’s like an excited little kid!” Akira answered, still enjoying himself greatly.

“Am not cute!” Ryuji interjected, pouting as he put another cookie in his mouth.

“You kind of are when you pout like that,” Ann teased him, before laughing herself.

“You are the cutest good boy, Ryuji!” Haru added seriously, slightly missing the point. “Akira is such a sweetheart too, you’re so cute together I feel so happy when I see you…” she continued, before Akira coughed.

“Enough of that, don’t you think?” he said, having started blushing alongside Ryuji as everyone started laughing.

“Seriously though guys, you should really focus more on your school work. I mean, today was special but you really shouldn’t go cutting class,” Makoto told them after they laughed for a while, sounding serious.

“Weren’t we supposed to lay low? Cutting class has quite the opposite effect,” she continued, before turning towards Ryuji, a soft smile showing on her features.

“I took care of the bullies for you Ryuji, Ann was able to identify them and after having a stern talk with them, I don’t think they’ll bother you anymore. You can safely go to school again, I’ll make sure of that,” she stated while looking at him kindly.  
The way Makoto’s voice sounded while she mentioned the “stern talk” send a shiver down Ryuji’s spine, he did not want to be in that position especially as he remembered that Makoto was a good fighter outside of the Metaverse.

“We will all make sure of that, I promise you Ryu,” Akira added, his voice filled with determination as he patted Ryuji on the back, before Ann and Haru reaffirmed it as well.

“You should all have lunch with me at my private spot,” Haru chimed in

“I always eat my lunch on the rooftop, my garden’s there and my father’s associates made sure I had clearance to go up there at any time I desire. It was supposed to be for the entire gardening club, but since I’m the only serious member, it’s basically just me up there,” she explained, after seeing the confused looks on the other’s faces.

“That sounds…quite nice, actually,” Akira admitted, surprising Ryuji. He didn’t think Akira would like to eat lunch outdoors.

“It’s settled then, from now on we eat together on the rooftop with Haru! We should all look into joining the gardening club to repay her kindness as well,” Makoto decided, trying to hide the excitement in her voice, before adding they could use the student council’s room if the weather got bad.

“Hey, don’t I get a say in this?” Ann said, pouting, before quickly pointing she was joking and agreeing with it, causing all of them to look at Ryuji for an answer.

“I mean, sure I guess? If that gets me away from those rotten punks then I’m game!” he said, agreeing as the rest of them looked relieved before whispering that he liked gardening as well, causing Haru to smile brightly. Ryuji didn’t quite understand why they looked so relieved, but he decided to let it slide for now. He would just ask Akira to explain it to him later.

* * *

They talked for a bit after, mostly about the gardening club, before Haru and Makoto excused themselves, having to go home. When they left, Ann turned to Ryuji, asking if he was hungry.

“Hell yeah, I’m starving at this point!” he told her, before Akira added being hungry himself.

“I’ll order us some food then, you don’t mind spicy food, right?” she asked.

Ryuji nodded, thinking it was a weird question. Weren’t they going to get pizza? How was pizza going to be spicy? Before shrugging it off as Ann excused herself to call the food delivery service.

“Did you know they were coming, man?” Ryuji asked Akira, who was sitting next to him.

“Honestly, no. I’m not surprised they came over though,” Akira told him, examining Ryuji.

“What are you lookin’ at?” Ryuji responded, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

“I’m just thinking about how much happier you look compared to when we found you this morning,” Akira admitted, blushing slightly.

“I was really afraid I was never going to see my happy Ryuji again…” he continued, taking his glasses off to look Ryuji in the eye.

Ryuji’s face quickly turned red as he realized Akira called him “his”. Akira really, really cared about him, he could see it in his eyes. Ryuji loved Akira’s eyes, they were a nice shade of dark grey, reminding Ryuji of a cloudy sky for some reason. Like the calm before a storm, just looking into Akira’s eyes was enough to calm Ryuji down.

“You okay, Ryu?” Akira asked him, catching him staring at him.

“Eh…yeah, man! I was just wonderin’…Do you actually need your glasses?” he asked, blushing.

“Nah, it’s all part of my secret plan,” Akira told him, a mischievous smile framing his features.

“Your secret plan?” Ryuji muttered, unable to hide the stunned look on his face, causing Akira to laugh.

“I need them to read, stuff’s a bit fuzzy without them, but I don’t need them otherwise. I was just wondering if you would believe me if I made up something,” Akira explained, still laughing.

“For real?!” Ryuji exclaimed as Ann walked back into the room.

“The food’s on its way,” she said with a smile on her face, as she wiped her eyes for a second, causing Ryuji to wonder if she had been crying. She was having fun though, right? She just smiled at them. Ryuji decided he was reading into things too much, as he excitedly started to chat to Ann about how thankful he was for her inviting them over.

“I’m glad you’re here too,” she told him, smiling, as the doorbell rang once again causing Ann to quickly walk towards the door to open it up.

* * *

“Did someone call Sojiro’s Curry Delivery Service?” Ryuji could hear a familiar voice say, as he saw Futaba and Yusuke walk up to them. Yusuke carrying a paper bag that was filled with 5 boxes of curry.

“Good job carrying them Inari, you leveled up!” Futaba told Yusuke, who looked at her with an exasperated look on his face.

“Is this why you called me? Just to have me carry these boxes?” he asked her, sounding annoyed.

“No silly Inari, I know you wanted to go see Ryuji and Ann suggested we come together!” she responded, slapping Yusuke on the back.

“I see, that is a smart idea of her indeed,” Yusuke agreed.

Ryuji started laughing as he watched the scene play out in front of them, Yusuke and Futaba made quite the pair, before his stomach started rumbling again.

“Looks like someone’s hungry,” Akira said with a smile, causing Ryuji to blush.

The five of them then decided to eat the curry Sojiro had made them, asking Futuba to pass along their thanks when she went back home.

After eating dinner, they all decided to relax in the living room, where Futaba and Yusuke revealed they had made something for Ryuji as well, handing him what looked like a picture book.

“When I found out what happened to you Ryuji, I was beside myself with worry. I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, so I decided to let it inspire me and sketched things that reminded me of you,” Yusuke explained.

“When Yusuke showed me the sketches he wasn’t quite sure how to give them to you, so I digitized them before adding colors using an image manipulation program on my laptop. I’m quite good with digital art, y’know?” Futuba added, finishing the explanation.

“I helped pick out the color schemes, I think they very much fit you Ryuji,” Yusuke told him.

“Come on, open it up now! I wanna see what you think!” Futaba then shouted, unable to wait any longer.

When Ryuji opened the book, he saw there were 4 sketches.

The first one was a picture of him with Captain Kidd, his Persona, standing behind him with a skeletal grin on his face, his arm protectively in front of Ryuji. Ryuji felt happy, seeing his Persona standing beside him like that before flipping the page.

The second picture was a skull with lightning bolts surrounding it, reminding Ryuji of his codename when they went into the Metaverse.

The third picture was a drawing of him and Akira, Akira’s arm wrapped around Ryuji, as they were both smiling.

When Ryuji turned the page again and saw the final picture, he had trouble composing himself. It was a picture of him surrounded by all of his friends, smiling, and when he looked at the picture version of him he saw he was wearing the brightest smile of them all.

“You’re such a radiant presence, Ryuji. I tried to capture that in the final picture,” Yusuke explained, when he saw Ryuji look at the picture.

Ryuji wiped the tears from his eyes before they could fall out, before muttering a thank you.

“Hey, don’t get so mushy!” Futaba yelled at him, before laughing.

“Sorry, I’ll try,” Ryuji responded with a smile. He felt truly happy right now. All his friends had been there for him today, bringing him presents just to cheer him up. Speaking of his friends, he looked around, trying to find a certain blonde friend to thank her, but he was unable to locate her anywhere.

“Hey Akira, where’d Ann go?” he asked, surprised Ann had just disappeared.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira looked around before realizing Ryuji was right, Ann had been gone for a while now.

“I’ll go look for her, you stay here with Futaba and Yusuke,” he told Ryuji. Before Ryuji could protest, Akira told him that they had come over for him, so he should entertain them.

Futaba agreed, before asking Ryuji about the games he played, mentioning that she wanted to play with and against him soon.

“You really hacked my accounts, Futaba?” he could hear Ryuji ask her in disbelief, as he walked out of the living room.

Akira figured Ann had gone to her own room, something had been off about her ever since she got that letter, but Akira didn’t want to pry. He regretted it now though, wishing he had asked her what was wrong. As he made his way to her room, he could hear quiet sobs coming from the inside.

He knocked on the door, causing him to hear a startled noise from the inside.

“Ann, I’m coming in now okay?” he asked softly, not wanting to others to hear him, as he opened the door.

When Akira entered the room he could see that Ann was sitting on her bed, trying her hardest to recollect herself, clutching the letter she was reading before.

“Akira, I’m sorry for disappearing like that…I just didn’t want to ruin Ryuji’s night, he seemed so happy…” she explained silently as Akira moved closer to her before sitting down next to her on the bed.

“That’s fine, I’m sure he doesn’t mind. What’s wrong Ann?” he asked her. He wasn’t as good at this as Ann was, which is why he let her do most of the comforting when it came to Ryuji. He was too blunt.

“It’s just…this letter I got from my parents…” Ann said, before handing Akira the letter. Akira quickly skimmed through the letter, before he realized what was wrong.

“My parents are going to stay abroad for another 6 months…” she muttered, trying her hardest not to cry again.

Akira could understand what she was going through. Ever since he had been sent to Tokyo, he hadn’t heard from his now divorced parents. His dad cut him off immediately, while his mom told him it was his fault his father was leaving. Believing that if he hadn’t gotten that probation sentence, his dad would have stayed. This was a lie his mother told herself, Akira knew that his dad was going to leave regardless, but he nevertheless winced as he remembered the final conversation with his mother.

* * *

_“It’s all your fault Akira!” his mother yelled at him, before she slapped him across the face._

_“Why did you have to assault that woman, huh? You stupid punk!”_

_She kept yelling at him, and Akira knew there was no point arguing with her. He tried to explain to her that he hadn’t done it, that he was being framed by this influential guy, but she wouldn’t believe any of it._

_“Your father couldn’t bear the shame of you being his son, so he left us, is this what you want? You bring me nothing but misery!”_

_“Mom…I didn’t do it…” Akira muttered, trying not to cry._

_“STOP LYING TO ME” she yelled, slapping him once again._

_The doorbell rang afterwards, the probation officer who was here to move him to Tokyo standing in the doorway._

_“Have you said your goodbyes?” he asked politely, before cuffing Akira, explaining it was part of the procedure._

_“I have nothing to say to him,” his mother said before looking away._

_“Don’t expect anyone to be here when you come back, Akira. You’ll find an empty house waiting for you.”_

* * *

“Akira? Hey, you okay?” Ann asked him, sounding concerned.

“Yeah, sorry about that, I just remembered something…” he said quietly.

“It’s been a long couple of days, huh?” Ann asked him, sounding really tired.

“I guess so, all that stuff with Ryuji’s been really tough…” Akira muttered sadly, not wanting to tell her about his own troubled past.

He wasn’t lying either, he loved Ryuji, and it had been hard on Akira to see him struggle with his past. It reminded him of his own struggles. Akira hoped with all his heart that his counselling plan would work out. He had send Miss Kawakami a text message, explaining to her that he couldn’t call her tonight, asking if she would consider being Ryuji’s counselor. She had responded almost immediately, telling Akira she would give it a try, but that she couldn’t make any promises since the school would have to approve of it.

“Ryuji can be really hard to deal with…” Ann said, before being interrupted by a loud noise right on front of her bedroom.

Ann and Akira immediately ran out, to see where the sound came from, finding Ryuji, sprawled out on the floor, cursing to himself as he looked at them with tears in his eyes.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

“Shit…” Ryuji muttered, looking up at Ann and Akira. He didn’t know how to feel after what he had just heard. Futaba and Yusuke had left moments ago and Ryuji was on his way to rejoin his friends, figuring that they were in Ann’s room. Right as he was about to open the door, he heard Akira’s voice saying that he’s been making his life tough, before Ann added that he was hard to deal with causing tears to well up inside his eyes once more.

He wanted to get away at that point, he didn’t know where to go, he just wanted to get away, but as he was trying to run off his leg injury caused him to fall over.

“Ryuji…” both of them muttered in unison, guilt washing all over their faces. Seeing them looking guilty like that, somehow made Ryuji feel justified in his anger as he lashed out.

“So this is how you freakin’ help me? By bitching about me behind me back?” he shouted, still sprawled on the floor, unable to hold back the tears.

He saw both of them tense up, before they dropped down on the floor next to him, helping him sit against the wall as they wrapped their arms around him.

“Why are you hugging me, I know you think I’m trouble like everyone else…” he protested, trying to flail himself out of the hug.

“We don’t,” Akira started, before Ann cut him off.

“I was facing my own troubles, Ryuji…I told Akira about it before he got lost in his own thoughts, presumably thoughts about you, and he mentioned that the last couple of days had taken a toll on him…” Ann explained to him, trying her hardest to hold her own tears back.

“Bull…” Ryuji started to yell, before Akira shushed him by forcefully putting his hand over Ryuji’s mouth.

“Don’t Ryuji, just don’t!” he told him sternly, before softening his expression. Part of Ryuji wanted to angrily bite Akira’s hand, to make him feel the pain he felt, but he realized that he shouldn’t when he saw the look in Akira’s eyes, a look filled with worry.

“We love you, can you please let us explain? Preferably in a more comfortable location than this,” he continued as he helped Ryuji stand up.

Ryuji was shaking and barely able to stand at this point, his leg really hurt, and if he didn’t have Akira’s shoulder to lean on, he was sure he would’ve fallen over again. As Akira and Ann moved him towards her bed, they didn’t say much, tension filling the air.

He knew he shouldn’t have yelled at them, but he was so frustrated at the idea of being a burden to his friends. He was causing them, especially Akira, pain and distress and he was not okay with that.

“You know what we should do before we talk?” Ann asked them after they settled on the bed, causing Ryuji and Akira to look at her with a confused look on their faces.

“Get changed into our pajamas and get some hot chocolate. It’ll make us all feel better,” she explained, before excusing herself to use the bathroom to change.

As she was leaving she told them that they could change in her room and that she would come back with three steaming cups of hot chocolate.

* * *

Ann had gone out of the room before they could even agree to it, causing Akira to shrug as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

“Wait, dude…Are you going to strip in front of me?” Ryuji muttered awkwardly.

“Yeah, you’ve seen me in my boxers before, it’s no big deal…” Akira answered as he shrugged again.

As he finished taking of his shirt, Ryuji couldn’t help but look at how hot Akira looked. You could see they went to the gym often as Ryuji could see the muscles forming on Akira’s chest. He had been skinny when they first met, but he was getting increasingly muscular and Ryuji couldn’t exactly complain about that.

“Need help?” Akira asked as he moved over to him, not wearing his shirt.

“Am fine…” Ryuji quickly muttered, before realizing he couldn’t stand up to take his own shirt off, causing him to struggle.

“Let me help,” Akira told him. His voice sounded seductive, catching Ryuji slightly off-guard. Before he could protest though, Ryuji could feel Akira’s arms underneath his shirt, Akira’s bare skin touching his chest, before he pulled it over his head.

“Damn, you’ve gotten buff, have you been going to the gym without me?” Akira said, sounding surprised as he examined Ryuji, slowly moving his fingers upwards across Ryuji's chest.

Ryuji blushed as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, glad that Akira noticed the effort he had put into looking his best for him.

“I’ve been trying to focus on my chest and arms too when you weren’t around, instead of just my legs…figured you would enjoy it,” he admitted quietly.

“Well, I do,” Akira whispered to him, as he leaned in for a quick kiss, before he wrapped his arms around Ryuji.

Ryuji practically died as he could feel their chests touch, he could feel Akira’s breathing, his chest against his, their bare skin touching and feeling like it was on fire.

After a few moments, Akira leaned back out, breathing heavily.

“We probably shouldn’t do this in Ann’s bedroom” he muttered, looking slightly ashamed for losing control. Ryuji nodded in agreement, mortified at the thought of Ann walking in on them while they were like that.

“Are you guys ready? I’m just going to finish up the hot chocolate, be there in two minutes!” they could hear Ann shout, causing both of them to quickly take their pants off before changing into their own pajamas, finishing right as Ann walked in.

“Are you guys alright? You seem flustered!” she asked, with a surprised but knowing look on her face, causing both guys to sheepishly grin at her as they were fiercely blushing.

* * *

After they settled on the bed, cups of steaming hot chocolate on a tray in front of them, Ryuji decided to start off the conversation.

“So…what the hell’s wrong then Ann? It must be really serious if it makes you upset,” he asked, unsure how to phrase it differently.

“You know my parents, don’t you Ryuji? That my dad’s a diplomat and that he’s out of the country a lot?” she asked him, seeming sad.

“Yeah, that’s why you’re home alone a lot…Oh…” Ryuji muttered, before everything sort of clicked for him.

Ann wanted them over because she was lonely without her parents around. Shiho had been coming over a lot, but after her accident she couldn't come by either, meaning Ann was pretty much always alone when she was at home.

“That letter…was it from your parents?” he asked, unsure if he should ask or not, causing Ann to nod at him.

“They’re…they’re not coming home for another 6 months at least…but who knows how long that’s actually gonna be?” Ann stammered as she started sobbing.

Unsure how to respond, Ryuji wrapped an arm around her as he urged Akira to do the same.

“I had no idea you were going through that Ann…” Akira muttered, seeming more upset than he should be, which confused Ryuji. He promised himself to ask Akira about that later, deciding that right now, he wanted to cheer up Ann like she had done for him over the past days.

“Ann…I’m sorry you have to go through that. But I’m home alone a lot too so if you want, we can stay at each other’s places more,” he told her. He meant it too. Ann had been there for him, and if being around her friends made Ann less sad, he would gladly spend more time with her.

Ann looked at him, seemingly unable to form any words, causing Ryuji to resort to drastic measures to cheer her up as he grabbed his cup of hot chocolate.

“I’ll dump it over my head if it’ll make you laugh!” he told her, smiling tauntingly, causing both of his friends to look at him in surprise.

“Please don’t, you’ll mess up my bed!” Ann yelled, before she started laughing, seemingly forgetting about her worries for a moment.

“I see what you did there Ryuji, thanks,” she told him when she stopped laughing, “And I think I would like that, to hang out with you more often.”

“Thank god, I was afraid I would actually have to dump the chocolate over my head,” Ryuji exclaimed sounding happy and also a little relieved.

“To be honest, I kind of wanted to see him do it,” Akira said, grinning mischievously.

“He kind of has to, doesn’t he?” Ann added, as a grin formed on her face as well.

“For real?!” Ryuji exclaimed, not looking forward to the idea of his drink messing him up. He told them he would though and he was a man of his word.

“I’ll take my shirt off though…I assume you want me to do it in the shower?” he muttered, holding up his hands in defeat, as Ann and Akira were laughing at him before they stopped him as he was struggling to pull his shirt over his head.

“You would have actually done it?” Ann asked him, looking at Ryuji as if he had said something ridiculous.

He shyly nodded, causing Akira to laugh even louder.

“If it would’ve cheered you guys up, I would’ve done anything!” he said, wanting them to understand he would do anything for them. Both of them, in different ways, meant so much to him and if Ryuji had to act silly to cheer them up, he would gladly make a fool of himself.

To Ryuji’s surprise, Akira wrapped his arms around him to give him a hug before telling him:

“See Ryuji, this is why, even if you’re sometimes tough to be around, I would never want to be without you. You always put others first. I won’t say that the last days were great, because they sucked, but we went through it together and as long as I’m with you, I don’t care how shitty our days get.”

“Yeah, the last few days were hard, but I would never want to replace you as my best friend, Ryuji. You crack me up too much,” Ann added, before joining in on the hug.

“We gotta drink our hot chocolate before it gets cold though!” she suddenly yelled. Akira slightly jumped up in shock, but Ryuji wasn’t even surprised by her outburst, Ann loved her chocolate after all and after he finished drinking his own cup, he had to admit, she made damn great hot chocolate.

“Ann, that was amazing!” Akira told her, Ryuji quickly nodding as well, causing her face to brighten up.

“It’s quite late guys, should we call it a night guys?” she asked after they laughed for a while.

Both guys agreed before they started arguing about who was going to use the bathroom first.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

The rest of the night had been rather uneventful as they had gone to bed quickly. When Ann woke up on the futon in the morning, she smiled as she looked at the bed in front of her. Akira and Ryuji were laying really close to each other, Akira’s arm protectively wrapped around Ryuji as Ryuji’s arm was on top of Akira’s chest.

Not being able to resist, Ann took a picture with her phone, before uploading it to the Phantom Thieves group chat.

 

> **Ann > **I’d say last night was a success
> 
> **Ann > ***Uploads Picture*
> 
> **Futaba > **omg
> 
> **Futaba > **you really let them sleep in your bed? :O
> 
> **Futaba > **i will honor your sacrifice
> 
> **Haru > **They really are precious, aren’t they?
> 
> **Makoto > **Even I have to admit that they are rather cute like that.
> 
> **Yusuke >** I feel overwhelmed with inspiration, I must draw them immediately.
> 
> **Yusuke >** Could you send me more pictures Ann?
> 
> **Ann > **They just woke up, I don’t think I can.
> 
> **Ryuji > **OI we aint precious
> 
> **Haru > **Don’t lie Ryuji-kun, you’re the cutest.
> 
> **Akira > **-.-
> 
> **Futaba > **our leader’s speechless, never thought that would happen
> 
> **Makoto > **Guys, let’s leave them alone for now (you are cute though).
> 
> **Akira > **Not you too Makoto…
> 
> **Ryuji > **grrrr
> 
> **Yusuke > **I do not understand why you’re responding in such an aggressive manner.
> 
> **Yusuke > **You are true inspiration
> 
> **Futaba > **go Inari, you tell ‘em
> 
> **Akira > **I’m out
> 
> **Futaba > **Ryuji and Akira sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
> 
> **Ryuji > **…
> 
> **Haru > **I kind of want to see this, it’d be adorable.
> 
> **Makoto > **Same.
> 
> **Makoto > **Wait why am I still typing?
> 
> **Ann > **Because you’re like us Makoto, because you’re like us ;)

“Ann, for real?!” Ryuji yelled at her from across the room, trying to get up before finding Akira’s arm was on top of his chest and he couldn’t move freely.

“Don’t get Makoto involved in your crazy schemes!” Akira shouted, struggling to get up himself as Ryuji’s leg was entangled with his.

Ann quickly realized both of them had become entangled in the other’s limbs, causing her to quickly snap another picture to upload to the group chat later before shouting she was going to use the bathroom to get ready for school and that they should do the same after she finishes.

As she entered the shower she smiled to herself. Her surprise had been a great success, even if she had gotten some bad news herself. She no longer felt sad about her parents though, she had her friends around and realized that it had been a long time since she had been truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chapter where every single Phantom Thief is around. Yusuke was really hard for me to write, like I had no clue how to do it, I hope it came out alright >.<  
> I had a lot of fun with this though, almost too much fun and I hope you guys like the direction I’m taking both Akira and Ann (her story’s not resolved yet) their backstories. Obviously I’ll reveal more as we go along, but don't worry, Ryuji will stay the main focus throughout the story :P.  
> Writing all the fluff felt really good, still unsure what my favorite part is (other than the Akiryu scene in the bedroom, 'cause that's number one :3) to be honest xD
> 
> Overall this is definitely one of the fluffiest things I’ve written to date and I would love to hear what you guys think, so leave a comment if you can they always warm my heart :)
> 
> Next time, we’ll continue with Chapter 5, which will be called Counseling. (It'll probs take a bit longer to put that up, I don't think I can keep up this pace xD)


	5. Counseling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though he agreed to go along with Akira’s plan for counseling, Ryuji’s in for a shock when he finds out who his counselor will be, especially when he learns unexpected truths from them concerning Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vague spoilers for Kawakami’s confidant story here. Also back in angst-mode, not as bad as before, but Ryuji and Akira will definitely both be facing demons here. They’ll face them together though, comforting each other along the way, so maybe that’s a bit better? xP  
> Also I lied, I wrote this way faster than I thought I would.

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji felt really nervous when he, together with Akira and Ann, got off the train to get to school. He didn’t feel like going, but Makoto had made it very clear that that wasn’t an option. That didn't change the fact that Akira and Ann still pretty much had to drag him out of the apartment this morning, he really did not want to go back yet. In a way he was grateful they had done so, he probably would’ve never gone back if it hadn’t been for them.

Still, when they arrived at the school gate Ryuji felt a shiver down his spine, remembering what happened 2 days before. He could see his memories flash by vividly, remembering the pain he felt as he grabbed Akira’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Ryuji?” Ann asked him, having seen him wince, sounding concerned.

“I’ll effin’ try to be,” he responded, not wanting his friends to worry too much. He knew he should be more expressive about his fears, but it was very much a work-in-progress and he still often felt like a burden so he wanted to cover them up.

Akira patted him on the shoulder with his free hand to comfort him, as if he sensed Ryuji’s fears, telling him that everything was going to be alright.

“You can always text us if anything happens, Ryu. We’ll be right there, I promise!” he told Ryuji before both he and Ann gave him a hug as they left for their own classroom, unable to hide the looks of worries on their faces.

As Ryuji walked to class he was surprised by how quiet it was. Unlike two days before, people weren’t whispering about him. Some people were still staring, but Ryuji had gotten used to that after what happened with Kamoshida.

The morning crept by slowly as Ryuji tried to focus on class for once, at least until he heard the announcement speaker turn on.

“Could Sakamoto-kun please report to the teacher’s office?” he heard a familiar voice say, confusing him.

People were definitely whispering now as Ryuji stood up, biting his lip, and grabbed his bag, quickly walking out of the classroom with his head down. He did not want to face the stares and whispers.

Ryuji figured he was in trouble for skipping school the day before and braced himself as he made his way to the teacher’s office, trying his hardest to think of an excuse for why he ditched.

He politely knocked on the door, before he heard the same voice from before telling him that she would be right there with him.

Moments later, the door opened as Ryuji saw Miss Kawakami appear in front of him.

“Come with me Sakamoto-kun,” she told him, signaling him to follow her.

After they walked for a little bit she stopped in front of a door that said “Counselor’s Office”, opening it up before she went inside. Ryuji figured he should follow her as he shrugged, going inside the office.

* * *

The office was not at all what Ryuji expected. It reminded him of a living room in a way. There was a leather couch, Miss Kawakami signaling he should take a seat there, and a chair made from similar leather where Miss Kawakami sat down herself. The room was decorated with motivational posters and there was a small wooden coffee table that was decorated with a vase filled with flowers, flowers that Ryuji assumed were fake considering it was early in November.

“Do you know why you’re here Sakamoto-kun?” she asked nicely, catching Ryuji off-guard. The last time Miss Kawakami, or any teacher for that matter, had said something nice to him was ages ago.

“No…” he muttered. He was telling the truth, he didn’t really understand why she had brought him here, if she was going to yell at him, she would have done it at the teacher’s office.

It slowly started to dawn on Ryuji that most of this didn’t make sense. Miss Kawakami wasn’t his homeroom teacher, so why did she call for him in the first place?

“Are you listening to me?” she asked him, sounding annoyed, causing Ryuji to realize he must’ve gotten caught up in his own thoughts again.

“I’m sorry, I was just thinking…” Ryuji said apologetically. Great, now he had pissed her off, but to his surprise she didn't look angry. She just looked concerned.

“That’s fine, considering what you went through I can’t really blame you. Honestly, I’m surprised Kurusu-kun asked me to help out, but I’m glad he did. Ms. Usami, your homeroom teacher, was fine with it too although she doesn’t know the details,” she told him.

“Akira asked you to help out?” Ryuji asked, still not quite understanding what was going on.

“Oh dear, he didn’t tell you?” she responded with a surprised look on her face.

“Tell me what?” Ryuji questioned, wanting to know what was going on now.

“I’m going to be your student counselor, he mentioned you wanted counseling?” she explained, causing Ryuji to realize what was going on. Miss Kawakami was the free solution Akira had mentioned the day before. Why she would help them out though was beyond him, didn’t she kind of hate delinquents?

“I owe him, well all of you really, if it wasn’t for you guys changing the hearts of Takase-kun’s parents, I wouldn’t be here anymore,” she explained to him, as if she sensed his confusion.

“WAIT FOR REAL, you know?” Ryuji yelled in surprise, causing Miss Kawakami to signal him to quiet down.

“Yes, it was not hard to piece everything together after they suddenly changed their attitudes towards me. When I confronted Kurusu-kun about it he told me everything, at least after a while he did. Don’t worry, I won’t report any of you. Kurusu-kun comes to talk to me sometimes, you know? I think it helps him to talk to someone on the outside and I figured he wanted the same for you,” she explained further, causing Ryuji’s head to spin.

This was too much for Ryuji to take in at once. Miss Kawakami knew they were Phantom Thieves and Akira had been talking to her about things? The latter part made Ryuji wonder why Akira had never turned to him for help, causing him to feel sad. Ryuji knew he wasn’t a great listener, but he would try his hardest for Akira.

“I want to help you Sakamoto-kun, do you think you can give it a try?” she asked him, sounding more concerned than anything. “I saw you in the Nurse’s office two days ago and to see any of my student’s treated like that breaks my heart,” she continued, as if she was trying to convince him.

Ryuji nodded in agreement. If Akira trusted Miss Kawakami, then he figured he should try to.

“Great,” she said with a smile, “do you think you can come by here after school then? It was Kurusu-kun’s idea, he really wanted to be there during our first session.”

“Yeah…I’m free,” Ryuji told her, before he got dismissed by Miss Kawakami as she wished him luck for the rest of the day.

* * *

Ryuji was distracted during the rest of his morning classes, thinking about everything that had been revealed to him. He didn’t even mind that Miss Kawakami knew about their secret identities, although he was wondered why no one ever told him that. What did bother him was the fact that Akira was struggling without telling him. Wasn’t it Akira who kept telling him to tell him anything and everything? Why wasn’t he following his own advice? Was Ryuji not trustworthy enough? He knew he was loud, but he would never blab about Akira’s secrets, he was his boyfriend and he would keep his secrets close to his heart.

Thinking about Akira like this made Ryuji feel sad, especially since he didn’t know how to talk to him about it. He couldn’t just randomly go up to him and ask him about it, but he also didn’t want Akira to feel like he couldn’t tell him everything. It made him feel inadequate, like somehow he was screwing up again.

Before Ryuji could completely get lost in his thoughts he could hear the school bell ring signaling that it was lunch time. The sound caused Ryuji to tense up as he remembered what happened last time he heard that bell. Nothing happened this time though, as Ryuji put his stuff in his bag before walking out of the classroom.

“How’s your day been?” he suddenly heard a voice behind him, startling him as he quickly turned around.

“Why so jumpy Ryu?” Akira asked him with a smile on his face, before his expression got more serious.

“Did they bully you again, because if they did…” he added, before Ryuji grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

“Why are you here?” he demanded, sounding more aggressive than he intended. He didn't fully understand why he was annoyed at Akira, but he somehow made him feel bad.

“I’m just trying to check up on my boyfriend…” Akira muttered sadly, looking down, “I really blame myself for what happened to you, y’know?”

Ryuji was taken aback by Akira’s confession. Akira generally wasn’t this upfront about his emotions. It made Ryuji wonder if this was related to what he learnt before. Was Akira just throwing up a front for everyone else? Maybe he wasn’t as confident as he pretended to be.

“I’m sorry if you didn’t like it…I didn't meant to upset you,” Akira continued as he seemed to reach for Ryuji’s hand before pulling back.

Ryuji couldn’t bear seeing Akira struggle like this and grabbed his hand before Akira could pull it back completely. He could hear people whispering, they were in a high school hallway after all, but he didn’t care.

“I freakin’ love it man, just caught me off-guard is all,” Ryuji told him as he smiled at Akira, causing a look of relief to wash over Akira’s face.

“Shall we head to the roof then? I believe the others are waiting!” he continued as he pulled Akira’s hand. Akira seemed slightly taken aback by Ryuji walking hand-in-hand with him to the rooftop, but he didn’t seem to mind so Ryuji decided that that was how it should be.

As they were walking towards the stairs leading to the rooftop, Ryuji could see a lot of different stares. There were people, mostly girls, who seemed somehow happy for them, but there were a lot of disapproving stares too. Ryuji thought he could hear someone yell a homophobic slur at them as well, but decided to ignore it, pulling Akira along with him.

He was surprised how angry Akira seemed to get whenever people stared or yelled something at them. Ryuji was generally the hot-headed one and it felt weird to him for it to be the other way around. He was definitely sure that Akira was getting angry through, feeling Akira squeeze his hand tighter every time someone looked at them disapprovingly.

When they finally reached the rooftop Ryuji’s hand was sore from all the squeezing Akira had done. Realizing they were somehow the first two that arrived there, Ryuji decided to take a chance and asked “the hell was that about, dude? You nearly broke my hand in freakin’ two!”

Akira looked towards the ground, letting go of Ryuji hand and balling both his hands into fists. Ryuji was surprised to say the least, he had never seen Akira this…angry before.

Ryuji thought it was anger, but he couldn’t tell for sure since Akira generally had the same stoic expression. He wasn’t wearing it right now though, his face flashing with anger.

“It just pisses me off!” he yelled, sounding angry.

“They bullied you just for liking me, you know how that makes me feel? Like it’s my fault it happened to you in the first place Ryuji!”

Ryuji didn’t know what to say, flinching when he heard Akira use his full name instead of the nickname he generally used, it felt like Akira was creating distance between them.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it bro, I’m fine…” Ryuji muttered, trying to put his hand on Akira’s shoulder before Akira pushed him away.

“I thought it was, but being back here…Back at school, it just reminds me of what happened to you and how I wasn’t there to stop it…”

“You do realize none of us were here for that, right?” they heard a familiar voice say, causing both of them to look towards the doorway in surprise to see Makoto had arrived.

“Look Akira, I know you feel guilty, but none of us could’ve prevented what happened to Ryuji that day, you know that,” she continued, trying to reason with him, shooting a quick “I’m sorry” at Ryuji when she saw the look on his face.

“Makoto’s right, you know? Don’t you think I don’t hate myself for not being there?” Ann said, having arrived on the rooftop just after Makoto did.

“At least we can all make sure Ryuji-kun’s protected now,” Haru added, softly smiling as she quickly made her way over to them.

“I am still here y’know?” Ryuji complained, annoyed at his friends talking about him like as if he needed to be protected. Sure, he got brutally beaten up two days ago, but he was still physically stronger than any of them, except maybe Makoto.

“We know Ryuji, we just really care about you,” Ann told him, smiling.

“I apologize if we’re being overbearing,” Haru added sincerely.

“It’s fine, just don’t act like I’m some effin’ flower,” Ryuji said loudly as he took a bite out of the sandwich he made for lunch, causing the others to laugh at him.

“What?” he responded, unsure why they were laughing.

“Just the way you say it,” Akira told him, before giving him a pat on the back.

Ryuji thought it was weird how Akira had seemingly returned to his cool and collected state when their friends showed up. It confused him and caused him to wonder if he had seen the real Akira before his friends arrived.

The Akira who was very much capable of emotions. He had alluded to it before, now that Ryuji thought about it. Before they started dating Akira had told Ryuji about how he had emotions too, even if people don’t always realize that.

“What’cha thinking about Ryuji? You seem super out of it today,” Ann asked him, causing him to blush.

“Now that you mention it Ann, Ryuji has been quiet. Normally he’s obnoxiously loud,” Makoto added.

“I’m just thinkin’ jeez,” Ryuji muttered, unsure if Makoto was serious or teasing him.

He didn’t want to tell them what he was thinking about though, not before talking to Akira about it.

Lunch break ended before he got the chance to ask though, causing everyone to go back to their separate classrooms, leaving Ryuji to anxiously await the end of it. He felt really nervous, he had his first counseling session when class was over and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. The only reason he agreed to do it was because Akira had been so adamant about it. He didn’t really want to deal with the stigma of needing counseling, he was already labeled a delinquent and now that he and Akira were openly in a relationship he was labeled gay as well. Ryuji didn’t want to add “mentally unstable” to that list, knowing that that’s probably what people would assume if they found out he saw a counselor. Another thing he was unsure about was the person who Akira picked to be his counselor. Sure Miss Kawakami was less bad than the other teachers, but she was still one of the people who abandoned him after the whole Kamoshida thing happened. Why would she want to help him now? It made no sense to Ryuji, but he tried not to ponder about it too much as the rest of the afternoon slowly crept by.

* * *

When class ended, Ryuji braced himself as he made his way back to the counselor’s office, knocking on the door when arrived.

“Come in,” he heard Miss Kawakami say before he entered the room.

He saw that Akira was already sitting on the couch, seemingly in the middle of the conversation with Miss Kawakami, smiling brightly when he saw Ryuji enter the room.

“I’m glad you’re here Ryu, you won’t regret it!” he said, sounding like he wanted to encourage Ryuji. The only thing it achieved was making Ryuji feel even more uncomfortable as he sat down on the other side of the couch.

“I have to ask this, but are you okay with Kurusu-kun being here Sakamoto-kun?” Miss Kawakami asked him, causing Ryuji to respond with a shrug before he nodded. Was he okay with that? He should be right?

Akira clearly expected a different response, looking at Ryuji with a disappointed look on his face before Miss Kawakami started talking again.

“Well, if there’s no objections, I would like to start by talking about you Ryuji. Why did you want to see a counselor?” she asked. There it was again, the nice tone in her voice that Ryuji didn’t understand.

“Because he made me,” he answered, annoyance filling his voice as he accusingly pointed towards Akira.

Both Miss Kawakami and Akira seemed taken aback by that answer, as Akira balled his fists again, before he started trembling. Ryuji was confused as Akira’s response. He was just telling the truth. He was only here for Akira and he thought Akira knew that.

“I didn’t know what to do anymore, okay?” he yelled at Ryuji, causing Ryuji to feel as if he was being slapped across the face.

“Bro, I’m sorry…” Ryuji started, he did not intend to upset Akira, before Miss Kawakami signaled him to be quiet as Akira removed his glasses, putting them on the table in front of them.

When Ryuji looked into Akira’s eyes he could see that they were filled with a multitude of emotions. Anxiety, fear, guilt, Akira was looking at him in the way Ryuji imagined he had looked at Akira the day before. It made Ryuji want to hug Akira, to tell him everything was going to be alright.

“Don’t be sorry, don’t you dare say you’re sorry!” Akira yelled at him, slapping Ryuji’s hand away when he tried to reach for him.

“It’s all my fault, isn’t it?”

Hearing those words come out of Akira’s mouth shocked Ryuji. Those were the exact same words he had muttered to Akira multiple times himself.

Miss Kawakami signaled for Ryuji to say something. Ryuji tried his hardest to do so, even though he had trouble finding the words.

“What is your fault dude?” he asked eventually, unsure if he phrased it correctly. He wanted to know what was wrong with Akira, he had never seen the other boy like this.

“That you were injured. I know you’re still hurt, your limp is worse than usual and don’t think I didn’t see the wound on your leg yesterday. If I had been patient and didn’t force you to be open about our relationship this would’ve never happened to you…” Akira explained before he started to furiously wipe his eyes as Miss Kawakami handed him a tissue.

“Wait you guys are dating?” she quipped in surprise, before quickly following up with:

“Do you want to say anything to Akira, Ryuji?” realizing that she must’ve seemed unprofessional.

Normally Ryuji would be surprised she was using their first names, but right now he wanted to help Akira and decided to put it aside.

“It’s not your fault bro, I wanted to hold your effin’ hand. I wanted to do it the moment we entered the amusement park, but I was too afraid. I don’t regret it though, you’re the best freakin’ thing that ever happened to me,” Ryuji said as he moved towards Akira. Akira tried to push him away again, but Ryuji grabbed his hand, blocking Akira from pushing him away as he wrapped his arm around Akira.

“You know I’m still stronger than you, right?” he told Akira, smiling at him. To his surprise, Akira smiled back at him with a tiny smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“There’s something I haven’t told you Ryuji…” Akira whispered after being quiet for a while, looking away in shame when Ryuji looked at him.

“Would you like to share it with him now Kurusu-kun?” Miss Kawakami asked seriously, seemingly having gone back to using their last names.

“But…we’re here for Ryuji…” Akira muttered, still not facing either of them. Akira had settled for looking at his lap at this point, seeming really lost.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it man! I kept thinking something was off with you today and I effin’ wanna know!” Ryuji exclaimed, causing Miss Kawakami to send him a look of disapproval for his language.

“It’s about my parents…” Akira started, catching Ryuji by surprise. Now that he thought about it, Akira had never mentioned his parents, or anything about his life back home, really.

“They hate me, pretty much,” Akira continued, angering Ryuji greatly. Sure his dad was a piece of shit, but his mom always loved him deeply and the idea of Akira’s parents hating him made him feel sick. Who could hate Akira? He was sweet, smart and confident. He was pretty much perfect in every sense of the word.

“The hell?! How can they hate you?” Ryuji yelled angrily. He expected Miss Kawakami to yell at him for that, but to his surprise she was just observing them calmly. Ryuji swore he could see a flicker in anger in her eyes when Akira mentioned his parents figuring she was on his side this time.

“The probation…My dad disowned me for being a disgrace and divorced my mom…My mom blames me for the divorce, telling me I’ve only ever caused her misery. God knows she’s right too, look what I did to you…” Akira muttered, the usual confidence that laced his voiced completely gone at this point.

“Why’d you never tell me?” Ryuji muttered, sounding confused.

“You had enough on your mind…and it’s my fault it happened to you in the first place…” Akira explained, seeming to believe his own explanation.

“Bullshit, Akira! Don’t you effin’ say that!” Ryuji yelled at him, angrily grabbing the other boy’s collar.

“Sakamoto!” Miss Kawakami shouted at him, causing Ryuji to let go of Akira before quickly apologizing as he looked away, feeling tears well up inside his eyes.

He was about to get up and walk out of the office, before Akira grabbed his hand.

“Stay Ryu…please,”

Akira sounded almost as if he were begging him, causing Ryuji to sit back down, a lot closer to Akira this time, as their legs touched. Akira leaned against Ryuji, pressing his entire body against him as Ryuji felt him shiver. It pained Ryuji to see Akira, the confident stoic Akira, this broken.

“I’m going to get us some tea, you guys look like you need it. God knows I need it,” Miss Kawakami stated before she walked out of the room.

“I’m sorry, Ryuji. So sorry…” Akira muttered, a single tear rolling down his face before more tears slowly started coming out.

“Don’t apologize man…if anyone should be sorry it’s me…” Ryuji responded, trying his hardest to hold back his own tears, before he started spiraling in his own guilt.

“It’s my fault…” Akira muttered in response.

“No, it’s my fault…” Ryuji protested.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

They went on like this for a while, muttering to themselves quietly, not noticing that Miss Kawakami came back until she cleared her throat.

“Has it ever occurred to you two that neither of you are at fault?” she asked, causing both guys to look at her with looks of confusion on their faces.

“Let’s analyze this, shall we? Why do you feel like it’s your fault Ryuji?” she continued, as she handed both guys a cup of tea, before pointing out she was going to use their first names from now on as a way to create a sense of familiarity.

Ryuji wasn’t sure how to respond, but to his surprise Akira spoke up, sitting up slightly although Ryuji could feel that he was still leaning on him. He didn’t mind, he liked Akira’s body close to his, it comforted him.

“I can answer first, if Ryu doesn’t mind…” he said quietly, looking away from the both of them.

“Go ahead bro, maybe then I know how to say my stuff…” Ryuji stated, wanting to reassure Akira despite having trouble keeping his own emotions in check.

He wasn’t lying, he wasn’t sure how this whole counseling stuff worked yet and didn’t know what to say.

“I’ve always seen myself as a source of misfortune for others…My mom always blamed me ever since I was a little kid and it just stuck around…” Akira muttered, still unable to face Ryuji.

Ryuji was shocked, he didn’t expect Akira to struggle with something so similar to his own troubles.

“But…you’re always so confident…?” Ryuji muttered, causing Miss Kawakami to glare at him as Akira finally looked at him.

“That is who I want to be, Ryu. I can’t always be that guy though, not when I’m alone…or after everything that happened to you…” Akira explained before quickly looking towards the ground again.

“I get you, man…” Ryuji muttered, before asking: “Can I go now teach? I know what I want to say,” causing Miss Kawakami to nod at him.

“Akira knows already, but my shitty dad used to abuse me and my mom…and you both know about what happened with Kamoshida…” he started, seeing Miss Kawakami flinch when he mentioned her former colleague.

“They both always told me I was a worthless piece of shit, and after the track team disbanded the student body told me the same thing, causing me to freakin’ believe that, y’know?” he continued, trying his hardest not to cry. He couldn’t cry right now, he had to finish his story, for Akira’s sake.

“I just figured that worthless people are always at fault, and since I believed I was worthless…” he muttered before he started sobbing. He cursed at himself for not being able to finish his story, now he couldn’t show Akira that he did understand and he started to feel increasingly guilty over it.

Luckily, Miss Kawakami decided to interject at this point, realizing what the problem was.

“We can establish that both of you guys blame yourself, right?” she asked, causing both of them to nod in agreement. There was no point denying that now, Ryuji figured.

“Let’s try this then,” she said, smiling. Ryuji didn’t understand what she was planning though, or why she was smiling for that matter.

“Ryuji, do you blame Akira for what happened to you?” she asked him.

“No, of course not! How could I ever blame him for any of that?!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“What about you Akira? Do you think any of this is Ryuji’s fault?” Miss Kawakami asked next, seemingly approving of Ryuji’s answer.

“No, of course not…” he muttered, seemingly realizing what was she was trying to achieve as a small smile formed on his face.

“What would you like to say to each other right now?” she then asked, signaling either of them could go first.

Looking at each other for a moment, they both started “I just…” before stopping, Akira signaling Ryuji he could go first.

“I just wanna tell Akira that none of this is his effin’ fault and that I would never blame him for it… I wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for him, he’s my rock…” Ryuji admitted, looking shyly towards the ground as he realized Akira was looking at him with wide eyes.

“Do you want to tell Ryuji anything Akira?” Miss Kawakami continued her questions, causing Akira to try and recollect himself enough to answer.

“I just want him to know that being around him makes me forget my past. He’s so bright and happy, he always puts a smile on my face, so I could never blame him,” Akira answered, looking towards the ground as well.

“Why’d you lie to me then…?” Ryuji muttered, unable to keep quiet. It was the only thing he didn’t understand, Akira had said that it was because he had enough on his plate, but Ryuji felt like there was more to it than that.

“I…I was afraid you wouldn’t want me anymore…” Akira whispered quietly, making it really hard for Ryuji to hear him. Ryuji heard him though and couldn’t believe what Akira was saying.

“The hell, man!?” Why the eff would you think that?” he yelled, causing Akira to move away from him slightly.

“You said it yourself, I’m your rock. I’m supposed to be strong and confident. I thought that if you found out about this side…this weaker side…you’d…” Akira couldn’t finish his sentence, as he was trying his hardest to hold his tears back, causing Ryuji to immediately wrap his arms around his boyfriend and pull him close.

“I can be your rock too, y’know?” he said, causing Akira to tearfully nod at him.

“I…think I’d like that…” he muttered, Ryuji pulling him even closer as he started to tear up himself.

“Do you guys need a minute alone?” Miss Kawakami asked, stepping out as Ryuji nodded. Telling them she’d be right outside if they needed her.

* * *

For the next couple of minutes Akira was curled up on Ryuji’s chest as both guys cried together and when they calmed down, they were both wet from being covered in each other’s tears.

“Did you mean what you said, Ryu?” Akira asked him, looking Ryuji straight in the eye.

“Yes, every little detail of it. You don’t need to be effin' perfect man, it’d be freaking scary that way,” Ryuji responded, causing Akira to laugh a little bit.

“Do you think we can make a promise then?” Akira said, looking at Ryuji seriously.

“What promise?” Ryuji replied, unsure what Akira was going to suggest.

“Promise that we’ll try to not blame ourselves anymore…” Akira answered, looking down.

“Only if you promise me that we’ll talk to each other, not just me talking to you. You come to me too, dude! You’re my freakin’ boyfriend and I want to be there for you like you are there for me,” Ryuji stated as he put his hand on Akira’s chin to make him look up.

“Is that a deal?” Akira asked inquisitely, looking intensely into Ryuji’s eyes now.

“Yes.”

“Let’s seal it then,” Akira stated before leaning in for a quick kiss, causing Ryuji to blush.

“I love you, Akira…Every part of you…” Ryuji muttered when they broke away, still blushing heavily.

“I love you too Ryu, I love you too…”

“Seems like you guys calmed down a little,” Miss Kawakami told them after she reentered the room moments after their kiss. Ryuji wasn’t sure if she had seen it, but he somehow felt like she was cheering on the inside.

“We made a promise, teach!” Ryuji told her proudly, causing her to look at him in surprise.

“We promised to no longer blame ourselves, but…I think we need your help for that…” he explained, causing her to smile at them.

“What do you need Ryuji?” she asked him warmly.

“Well, maybe I can give counseling an actual try…Maybe you can help me sort out my past…So I can be better for me and this guy and Ann and my mom and Haru and Makoto and Futaba and Yusuke and even Morgana and...” he rambled, looking down, before Akira gave him a little shove, signaling him to quiet down.

“I would love to help you with that, not today though, it’s already really late,” she said, clapping her hands together.

“I can generally always be here after school, let me know in advance when you two are available and I’ll clear my afternoon schedule,” she said with a wink, referring to their escapades as the Phantom Thieves, before adding that Ryuji, and Akira for that matter, should probably try to come by twice a week.

Ryuji nodded. He was going to do this, for Akira, but also for himself. It was time for him to let go of his past and to start doing that he had to admit that he couldn’t do it alone. As he looked at Akira for reassurance, he saw that the other boy had recollected himself and smiled at him, taking a hold of his hand.

“We’ll go together, Ryuji. I’ll always be here with you,” he said, squeezing Ryuji’s hand reassuringly.

“Only if you promise we’ll work on your problems too bro,” Ryuji told Akira sternly, causing the other guy to laugh at him.

“Well, there are two sessions a week…” he responded, smiling.

Miss Kawakami ended the session after that, causing Ryuji and Akira to go their separate ways for the day as they both needed to go home. Before they separated, they reminded each other of the promises they made, promising once more that from now on, they’d face everything together.

* * *

Days quietly went by after that, during which Ryuji and Akira went to see Miss Kawakami twice a week. It helped them grow closer, talking about their problems together with Miss Kawakami. Ryuji had to admit that she was actually really helpful, she gave them both great advice and very slowly helped him come to terms with his past, and Akira with his. She was a bit of a hopeless romantic though, constantly suggesting outings for their next dates, even going as far as to mention the times she ended up fishing with them.

The staring at school seemed to settle down too, probably because people slowly got used to Akira and him dating. It wasn’t much, but it made going to school more pleasant for Ryuji, who felt motivated to work on his grades for the first time in years.

Additionally they, together with rest of their group and Akechi, managed to secure a route to the treasure inside the Casino, before agreeing to not do anything until the 19th of November giving them some free time before then. Ryuji decided to take this time to go to the gym, have fun with Akira outside of counseling and hang out with Ann, like he promised her he would.

* * *

 

It was the 15th of November when Ryuji and Akira were walking to Shibuya Station, their hands locked together.

“I’m really proud of you Ryu,” Akira told him as he smiled brightly. Akira had done that more often later, just smiling brightly at Ryuji. Something which made him feel warm inside.

“Dude, what?” Ryuji asked, confused. He still wasn’t used to Akira being more open about his emotions.

“You’re really going through with these sessions, I thought you wouldn’t do it,” Akira admitted, looking away slightly.

“Well, I’m proud of you too then!” Ryuji decided loudly, causing Akira to look at him in surprise.

“You told me ‘bout your past bro, even showed me the real you. I’m happy you trust me enough for that,” he explained, rubbing the back of his head as Akira smiled at him softly.

“We’ve been together “officially” for almost a month now, huh?” Akira asked, causing Ryuji to nod at him. He knew that Akira was referring to the fact that they had been unofficially dating long before they got together, he had just been too dense to realize it. As he was about to apologize for that, again, Akira suddenly stopped and looked at him.

“Wanna sleep over at my place tomorrow to celebrate? Sojiro’s fine with it too, I already asked…” Akira asked him, looking shy all of a sudden, as if he expected Ryuji to say no to that.

“For real?! Yes! Yes dude, I will!” he yelled excitedly, before he started blushing furiously. Realizing that while he had slept over at Akira’s place before, during summer, he had not done so since they started dating.

“You won’t have to sleep on the couch this time either,” Akira teased him, after seeing Ryuji turn red, causing Ryuji’s face to turn even redder as Akira happily patted him on his back.

They were forced to separate soon after, having to board a different train to go home, as a still fiercely blushing Ryuji pulled out his phone. 

> **Ryuji > **ann, i need your help. like freakin’ much
> 
> **Ann > **??
> 
> **Ryuji > **akira just asked me to sleepover, for our anniversary...
> 
> **Ann > **OH
> 
> **Ann > **MY
> 
> **Ann > **GOD
> 
> **Ann > **Say no more Ryuji, meet me at the mall tonight, we’re going shopping!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit that chapter got way heavier…and longer than I intended. I tried really hard to humanize Akira here by fleshing out his personality/backstory.  
> Having Ryuji be the one to help him through his problems was a weird change in their dynamic to write, but then I had Ryuji break down and let’s just say I was glad Kawakami was there to help them sort though it all. Ryuji calling Kawakami "teach" seemed in-character to me, thought it was pretty funny xD  
> I did like 4 rewrites and I’m still not completely satisfied, but I hope you guys enjoy it nevertheless T_T 
> 
> Also, I hope I can ask for your help since I'm trying to settle on a nickname for Ryuji to call Akira since Akira calls him Ryu a lot.  
> Currently torn between Aki or Kira, but perhaps some of you can help me decide? Leave a comment about what you like best if you want, but feel free to suggest a different nickname if you got a great idea for one? Thanks in advance ^.^
> 
> Next time we’ll have a light fluffy chapter again, so I hope you guys join me for chapter 6 “Sleepover”.


	6. Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having dated for almost a month now, Akira invites Ryuji to stay the night. Just the two of them this time around. Ryuji meanwhile struggles getting a perfect anniversary gift for Akira, but Ann offers to help him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is finally time to write this. Honestly I’ve been looking forward to writing this chapter ever since I started planning this fic. I intended for it to be complete fluff, but some angst crept in >.> Flashbacks are in italics, like they were before, btw ^^  
> Also, spoilers for 6th palace here. Like big ones.

**Ryuji Sakamato**

When Ryuji arrived he could see that Ann was impatiently drumming her fingers against the pillar she was leaning against.

“Yo, sorry I’m late Ann, damn train had issues,” he explained to her, smiling apologetically. It seemed to work as Ann smiled back at him.

“At least you’re here now Ryuji! When you messaged me, I knew we had to meet up! We still have two hours until most shops close, so we have to make the most of it!”

She paused for a moment, confusing Ryuji, before she looked like she remembered something.

“Oh! So what did you need help with anyway?” she asked, still sounding really excited.

“Well, uh, I wanna buy Akira something, but dunno what…” Ryuji said as his cheeks turned red as Ann excitedly clapped her hands together.

“So we need to buy an anniversary gift along with new sexy sleeping clothes, got it!” she said, grabbing his arm as she pulled him inside the mall.

“New sexy what now?” Ryuji muttered more than a little confused.

“You can’t wear your boxers with smiley faces on them, Ryuji. You want Akira to be impressed, don’t you?” she whispered suggestively as she raised an eyebrow, causing Ryuji to make a face at her.

He had to admit she had a point though. He had been going to the gym a lot more, mostly for Akira, after both Haru and Ann cornered him for a “girl talk” the other day.

* * *

 " _Ryuji-kun, we need to have a conversation,” Haru said seriously, after Ryuji had noticed her and Ann waiting for him outside his classroom._

_His friends had done so often ever since the bullying incident, but it felt different this time since both girls looked at him very serious looks on their faces._

_“What?” Ryuji asked, confused at their serious appearances._

_“Not here, follow us Ryuji,” Ann said, signaling him to quickly come with them. Ryuji shrugged as he followed them to Haru’s rooftop garden._

_“No one else is present!” Haru exclaimed happily as she and Ann sat down on some of the chairs they put up there as Ryuji sat down himself._

_They had managed to sneak some plastic chairs up to the roof, since they often ate lunch there with the rest of the thieves now, and Haru had decorated each of them with a pillow. Each pillow had a chibi version of their persona’s face embroidered on it. Ryuji remembered being seriously impressed when he was handed his own, the skeletal grin of Captain Kidd greeting him every time he saw his chair._

_“Come on Ryuji, dish! We wanna know everything about you and Akira!” Ann’s voice was filled with excitement, causing Ryuji’s cheeks to turn a bright shade of red._

_“The hell, why would I tell you guys?” he responded, feeling embarrassed._

_“Because we’re your girls, Ryuji-kun. This is our girl talk. We’re both Team Ryuji all the way!” Haru explained. Somehow the explanation made Ryuji feel even more embarrassed._

_“I know you and Akira almost got down and dirty when you were at my place,” Ann whispered, a wide smile forming on her face as Ryuji turned completely red. He didn’t realize that Ann knew about what happened that night._

_“Shit…um…it’s not what it seemed like…” Ryuji muttered, desperately trying to salvage the situation._

_“You know Akira’s obsessed with your body, right?” Ann continued, causing Ryuji to look at her in surprise._

_“My…body?”_

_“Indeed,” Haru chimed in, smiling, “Akira-kun told Mako-chan all about how you muscular your chest was and how you had the perfect arms,” she sounded like she was swooning over him and Akira at this point and Ryuji still too sure how to feel about that._

_He fiercely blushed at the fact that Akira thought his body was hot though. He liked going to the gym, but if it turned Akira on, wouldn’t that be even better?_

_“Point is, we’re here as your girls Ryuji. We’ll help you charm Akira in whatever way you need!” Ann said, sounding determined._

_“But aren’t we already dating?” he questioned, not sure why he needed to charm Akira since they were already together._

_“You still want to wow Akira though, don’t you?” Ann asked him, throwing a question right back at him. A question to which Ryuji couldn’t help but nod as Haru clapped her hands together excitedly._

_“Then you have to tell us everything Ryuji-kun!”_

At first he had been on edge about having a “girl talk” with Haru and Ann, but as they talked to him more often he realized that it was nice to have friends to confide in about his relationship. They gave him great advice too, so Ryuji figured there was no harm, especially once he realized Akira was probably doing the same with Makoto.

* * *

“What do you think of this store Ryuji? Think you can get something here?” Ann asked him as they arrived in front of the store where Ryuji had bought his outfit for the amusement park.

“I suppose we can try,” he told her, before Ann dragged him inside going straight for the “sleepwear” section.

“We need to find something that accentuates his muscles…Hmmm…” Ryuji could hear Ann saying, mostly to herself, before her face brightened with a look of excitement and mischief. She had apparently found the jackpot as she ran off, causing Ryuji to run after her.

When he found her, she immediately held a really tight white sleeveless shirt in front of his face along with really short blue sleeping shorts.

“I don’t know Ann, I don’t normally wear stuff like…” Ryuji tried, before Ann pushed him towards the changing room telling him he should at least try it on.

Ryuji sighed as he grabbed the clothes, stripping down to his boxers as he took a quick glance at himself in the mirror wondering what the hell was wrong with them. He loved his boxers, they all had expressive smiley faces on them, and he was sure Akira would too. As he finished putting the clothes on, he looked at himself in the mirror. He felt slightly embarrassed wearing clothes that were this tight. They showed off his body though, the shirt fitting tightly enough to show off that he often trained his chest at the gym now as well as accentuating his arms while the shorts showed off his muscular legs.

“Akira would be super into that,” he heard Ann’s voice say, causing Ryuji to jump up in surprise.

“The hell Ann, you’re not supposed to sneak into the changing rooms while people are changing!” Ryuji yelled at her, a mix of surprise and annoyance lacing his voice.

“Well, you were taking super long and you still need to buy Akira a present too!” she told him as if what she did made complete sense.

“You look hot by the way, Akira would be so into this,” she winked at him before telling him to change back quickly and buy the clothes. They needed to make another stop after all.

“So, what do you wanna get Akira?” Ann asked after they walked around the mall for a while. They only had 30 minutes left before the shops closed and they were no closer to getting a gift than they were before.

“I dunno,” Ryuji muttered looking down, “don’t have a lot of cash…”

Ann slapped him on the back, causing him to look up at her and see that she was smiling.

“Akira doesn’t mind it’s not expensive silly, just get him something personal,”

“Something personal?” Ryuji asked, before he thought of the perfect gift, running off as Ann called for him to slow down, trying her best to keep up with him.

Ann caught up to him as he slowed down in front of a stand with little trinkets, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. 

"You can't run off like that..." she muttered, before Ryuji interrupted her.

“Look! Isn’t this perfect?” Ryuji asked, holding a small silver locket in the shape of a skull in front of Ann’s face.

“I’ll put a picture in it, that way Akira can always keep me with him!” he explained, smiling brightly at his idea.

“Hmm…”

Ann seemed to be thinking, before grabbing a different locket. This one was similar to the one Ryuji picked out, except that it was in the shape of a heart with a skull engraved on it.

“You should buy this one instead,” she told him, causing Ryuji to think about it before he realized what the locket could imply. It was like he, the skull, became a part of Akira’s heart. Deciding that he liked what it stood for, he asked the clerk, who had been listening to them, how much it cost.

“Is it for the special person in your life, dear?” she asked him, causing Ryuji to nod affirmatively as the clerk smiled at him.

“I’ll give you a special discount then, just 2100 yen and it’s yours.”

Ryuji stared at the clerk, a shocked look on his face, before muttering a thank you and paying for it.

“That necklace was worth at least double the freakin' price…” he muttered to Ann after they had walked away.

“Guess the love-struck look on your face made her feel mushy inside,” Ann joked, smiling at him.

“Thanks Ryuji, for asking me to help you. I had fun tonight!” she told him, momentarily reminding Ryuji of when he and Akira stayed at Ann's place, before telling Ann he had fun as well.

“You have to go home now though! Tomorrow is your big day with Akira and I don’t want you to be sleepy because of me!”

It was pretty much an order as Ann refused all his attempts to stay out together for a little longer, before they headed towards the train station together where they said their goodbyes.

Ryuji felt happy, he had gotten the perfect gift for Akira and he even got clothes to wow him. Their sleepover was going to be perfect, he just knew it.

* * *

School felt like it took even longer than usual the next day. Probably because Ryuji was excitedly waiting for it to be over. He sighed in relief when the school bell finally rang, signaling he was free for the rest of the day. Akira hadn’t been on the rooftop for their usual Phantom Thief lunch, but Ann reassured him that it was nothing for him to worry about. He noticed that Makoto was missing as well though, causing him to wonder if they were doing something together. They probably were, considering Ann and Haru had explained to him that Makoto was the same kind of friend to Akira that they were to him, putting a smile on Ryuji’s face. He was glad that they were both able to confide to different people, it was probably healthier for their relationship too. At least that’s what he had read in the magazines Ann kept giving him...

Ryuji quickly rushed home after school was out, he wanted to get his stuff so he could make his way over to LeBlanc and see Akira. He wanted to see him. Sure they saw each other almost every day, but this time it would be just them, alone, all night, and Ryuji was looking forward to that.

He wondered how Akira would react to the clothes he bought, wondering if perhaps it was too much, and he was even more curious about what he would think of the gift. Would he like it?

Ann kept reassuring him he would so he decided to trust her word for it for now, figuring there was no point in getting all worked up over it.

As he opened the door to his apartment, he called for his mother. He got no response though causing him to decide to leave note and stick it on the fridge. He had already excitedly told her multiple times that we was going to sleep at Akira’s place, but he wanted to leave a reminder just in case she forgot. He did not want her to worry about him. She seemed happy though that Ryuji had close friends who hung out with him all the time.

He went to his room, after sticking the note on the fridge, to grab his things and a new school uniform for the next day, before stuffing them into his school bag and heading towards the station. He felt kind of nervous, but he was ready for this, taking a quick glance at his phone to see he had a couple of new messages.

> **Ann created “Team Ryuji”**
> 
> **Ann added You.**
> 
> **Ann added Haru.**
> 
> **Ann > **Go get ‘em tiger!
> 
> **Haru > **I believe in you Ryuji-kun.
> 
> **Haru > **Your present sounds beautiful and touching, Ann-chan told me ;)
> 
> **Ann > **I’m telling you Ryuji, it’s going to be fine!
> 
> **Ann > **We need updates btw!
> 
> **Haru > **Please do tell us everything Ryuji-kun, I would really appreciate it.
> 
> **Ryuji > **fiiiiine

He put his phone back into his pocket after replying, smiling at the fact that Ann and Haru would go that far for him. It reminded Ryuji of the fact that Akira wasn’t his only friend anymore and it made him really happy. Akira was still his number one though, he would always be.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“You do know it’s going to be fine, right?” Makoto asked, eying Akira with a worried expression on her face.

“I just want it to be perfect for him, he’s really special to me Makoto,” Akira whined. He had been nervous about Ryuji sleeping over. It had seemed like a good idea when he suggested it, but now he wanted it to be perfect and it stressed him out to no end. He wanted Ryuji to feel really special, Ryuji deserved as much.

“If you just stick to the plan Akira, you’ll be fine,” she stated, proudly smiling at him. Akira figured she’d be proud of herself. Makoto had helped Akira plan the entire night and was confident that it was an airtight plan.

“Honestly, I can’t believe you chose now out all times to have a sleepover with Ryuji though…” she stated, causing Akira to look at her with an annoyed look on his face.

“It’s exactly because of that…What if I don’t make it out?” he stated bluntly. He could see Makoto flinch, but it was a possibility. Sure they had thought everything through and nothing should go wrong, but they were still going to gamble with his life. Everyone, except maybe Ryuji, realized that.

Honestly, Akira had tried to protect Ryuji from knowing too much since he knew how Ryuji would react if he found out about the entire plan. Still, they had promised each other complete honesty and Akira would tell him tonight even if that meant having to console Ryuji. He just hoped that he could get through telling Ryuji about it without breaking down himself.

“Don’t say that Akira, you’ll be fine!” Makoto yelled, nearly losing her composure.

“Yeah, you’re our fearless leader. I just know you’ll be fine,” Morgana added.

“Are you fine taking Morgana with you for tonight Makoto? He and Ryuji really don’t get along,”

“Well that’s because he’s loud, vulgar and an idiot…”

“Get my point?”

Akira didn’t like that Morgana would constantly talk Ryuji down, it used to be funny, but ever since their fight before they entered Okumura’s Palace it seemed to get worse. He decided to talk to Morgana about it at some point, before Makoto pointed out that she should leave as Ryuji would arrive soon.

“You’ll be fine Akira, believe in yourself!” she told him, trying to awkwardly egg him on before she left the attic, Morgana closely following behind her.

After Makoto left, Akira checked everything he had prepared one final time before going downstairs.

“I haven’t seen you this worked up since you arrived here, you know?”

To his surprise Sojiro was still there. Akira had figured he would’ve left by now, it was almost evening and he was taking Futaba to the restaurant she really wanted to go to. They had invited Akira along as well, but he had declined explaining he had plans with Ryuji.

“It’s complicated…” Akira muttered. He didn’t really talk to Sojiro, even though he was grateful that he had taken him in. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Sojiro either, it was just hard for Akira to be open with anyone.

“Girl trouble?” Sojiro asked inquisitively, reminding Akira that he had never told Sojiro he was dating Ryuji.

“Something like that…”

“Ryuji trouble?” Sojiro continued, surprising Akira.

“How did you?” he questioned.

“Have you ever seen you two together? Anyone could see that,” Sojiro explained, seemingly suppressing a chuckle.

Akira was shocked to see that the man seemed to be smiling at him approvingly. Sojiro rarely smiled at him.

“I am done finishing up at any rate, don’t break the place down while I’m gone,” he stated before he left.

When he was about to close the door, he turned towards Akira and said: “For what it’s worth, I think he’s a good kid,” before he closed it, leaving a stunned Akira standing by himself in the middle of Leblanc.

In a way Akira was happy that Sojiro seemed to approve of his relationship. During the months he had lived at Leblanc, Sojiro had slowly become like a second father to him.

Akira let out a sigh as he remembered his real dad, the man who disowned him because of his record. He knew he would never approve of Ryuji, or Akira being with another guy for that matter, but Akira knew that was in the past.

He would probably never see either of his parents again though, they made that very clear to him. Akira swallowed heavily at that thought, he didn’t want to get upset just before Ryuji arrived, but it was too late. He could hear the door to Leblanc open and saw Ryuji appear in front of him, the huge grin on his face faltering the moment he saw Akira.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

“Yo…did I arrive at the wrong time?” Ryuji questioned, not really understanding why Akira looked like he was about to cry.

“It’s nothing Ryu, don’t worry about…” Akira started, causing Ryuji to put his bag on the ground and quickly rush over to him.

“No way dude we made a promise!” Ryuji stated loudly before hugging Akira. To his surprise Akira wrapped his arms tightly around him, causing Ryuji to realize how tensed up Akira was.

“You’re not this nervous, are ya?” he asked, trying to make a joke to cheer Akira up. It seemed to have work, as he heard Akira laugh a little.

“I was just thinking ‘bout my parents,” Akira admitted, causing Ryuji to break away from the hug and look at Akira.

“What about ‘em?” he asked, trying to stay calm. Whenever Akira brought up his parents, it always made him really angry. Ryuji just didn’t understand how they could do what they did to someone as wonderful as Akira. How anyone could disown their own son really.

“I’ll probably never see them again Ryu…” Akira responded, sounding really sad.

Ryuji wasn’t sure how to respond, he knew Akira’s parents were shitty, but he could somewhat understand why Akira was sad at the prospect of them not wanting him anymore.

“At least you can always see me, Kira,” he said as he reassuringly smiled at Akira, despite being unsure if this was the moment to try the new nickname he had thought up for his boyfriend.

Ryuji had been torn between calling him “Aki” or “Kira”, but eventually decided to settle on the latter after talking about it with Ann and Haru.

“K…Kira?” Akira muttered, sounding really flustered, causing Ryuji to smile.

“You always call me Ryu, so I came up with a nickname for you too…” Ryuji explained while he rubbed the back of his head.

“Is it too much?”

Akira shook his head, before giving Ryuji a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I love it,” he said as she smiled at Ryuji, “you always manage to make me happy Ryu.”

Ryuji’s face turned red as he heard Akira say that, causing Akira to laugh.

“Should we move your stuff upstairs?” he asked, seemingly cheered up now.

“Hell yea, bro! I’m really excited for this!”

* * *

As they settled in Akira’s attic room, Ryuji decided now was the perfect time to give Akira the gift he bought as he tried to subtly get it out of his bag, which he somehow succeeded at, before putting his hands behind him.

“What have you got there, Ryu?” Akira asked, clearly wondering why Ryuji was fumbling with his hands behind his back as he started to blush fiercely.

“I…uh…um…” he muttered shyly.

“You?” Akira asked inquisitively as he walked over to Ryuji. He had been busy putting extra pillows on his bed, so that he and Ryuji could sleep together.

“I got you this!” Ryuji yelled awkwardly, holding the gift bag out in front of him, waiting for Akira to take it. He didn’t though, he just looked at Ryuji before sighing as he pulled out a small gift box from his jeans’ pocket.

“Guess I’m not the only one who got a gift,” he said, slightly blushing, causing Ryuji to relax a little.

“Well, it’s our effin’ anniversary, isn’t it?” Ryuji said, grinning.

“You got a point there,” Akira agreed, smiling back.

After staring at each other for a few moments, Akira pointed out that they still hadn’t exchanged their gifts causing both guys to blush again.

“Here you go bro!” Ryuji said as he handed Akira his gift, before Akira handed him his.

They both quickly opened them, unable to wait because of their excitement.

When Ryuji opened the box, he saw there was a leather necklace with a skull inside. He looked at Akira with a smile, guess they both went for something the other could wear.

“Guess you beat me, your gift is so much better than mine,” Akira sighed. To Ryuji’s surprise he had already put the locket around his neck, before he clicked it open.

Ryuji could see Akira’s smile turn into one of the brightest smiles he had ever seen when he saw the picture inside the locket.

It had taken Ryuji forever, but he had found the perfect picture of the two of them. It was during their trip to Hawaii as they were both smiling, arms wrapped around each other’s shoulder.

In hindsight even Ryuji could see what that looked like, but back then he was still oblivious.

“Don’t say that man, I love this necklace. It really suits me too!” Ryuji said to cheer Akira up as he tried to put the necklace around his neck. He meant it too, he loved how cool it looked and it fit him perfectly.

“Let me help you with that,” Akira told him, before he took the necklace from Ryuji’s hands as he moved behind him.

Ryuji could’ve done it himself, but he wanted Akira to touch him so he faked being unable to do it. When Akira put the necklace around his neck, he shivered as he felt Akira’s hands touch him.

He always liked it when Akira touched him. Akira was always really careful with him and never tried to hurt him, he was still used to people hurting him when they touched him and Akira, and Ann and the other Phantom Thieves to a lesser extent, helped him get over that slowly.

“All done,” Akira said, causing Ryuji to turn around.

“How do I look?” he asked, sticking his tongue out a little to be cheeky.

“Amazing, it does really suit you!” Akira decided, before he leaned in to kiss Ryuji.

Ryuji could feel Akira’s face press against his as the other boy slipped his tongue into Ryuji’s mouth. They didn’t often kiss like that, only when they were alone, but Ryuji enjoyed it a lot.

Ryuji let out a deep breath as Akira pushed him down on the bed, breaking their kiss for a moment, before he leaned in for round 2.

“I…really love you, Ryu” Akira breathed in-between kisses.

“I love you too,” he whispered back, before he started unbuttoning Akira’s shirt. He wanted to touch the other boy’s body, he needed to.

“Wait…” Akira said, leaning back all of a sudden, causing Ryuji to wonder if he was moving too fast before starting to apologize.

“It’s not that Ryu, I’m just…really hungry…” Akira muttered, before Ryuji could hear his own stomach grumble.

“Me too, bro,” he agreed before Akira asked him what he would like to eat.

Akira had decided that they should order food and offered Ryuji several things to choose from, before Ryuji decided on pizza.

They decided to play some video games as they waited for the pizza, Akira beating Ryuji mercilessly. “The hell! This game’s freakin’ difficult!” Ryuji yelled in frustration when he lost for the 4th time as they could hear Akira’s phone buzz causing him to check his phone. When he did he realized he had received a text message saying that the delivery guy had arrived.

“I’ll go get our food, I’ll be right back Ryu,” he said with a smile, before walking downstairs to get the pizzas they ordered.

* * *

Ryuji heard mumbling downstairs, causing him to check his phone quickly. He saw his mom had texted him.

> **Mom > **Found your note, Ryu-kun.
> 
> **Mom > **Have fun tonight!
> 
> **Ryuji > **thanks mom, sorry i’m not home with you
> 
> **Mom > **Don’t worry ‘bout that Ryu-kun, just enjoy yourself!
> 
> **Mom > **I’m happy you got a friend like that Akira kid.

Ryuji put his phone away after reading that, thinking about what his mom texted him. Akira was way more than a friend at this point, but he never told her that. He felt awful about it, really, but he didn't know how to tell her.

Ryuji wanted to tell her he had feelings for guys, but he had always genuinely believed he was straight, he had crushed on girls before and to suddenly fall hard for a guy was something he had not even completely come to terms with himself.

He loved Akira, he loved Akira with all his heart, but society expects certain things out of a man and Ryuji did always think he would get married and have children…That would all be a lot harder now and he assumed his mother wanted to be a grandma one day. Telling her that that would no longer happen would make Ryuji feel like he was letting her down again. In a way dating Akira felt like he was.

“What’s that frown for?” Akira asked as he walked back up the stairs, carrying 2 pizza boxes with him.

“Just thinkin’,” Ryuji muttered. He knew he had agreed to share everything with Akira, but he didn’t want to talk about this yet. He had to make a choice first.

Akira nodded to him, seemingly accepting the answer for now, as he put down the pizza boxes.

“Seriously Ryu, I don’t know why you like pizza with pineapple on it,” he said as he opened the first box.

“It’s freakin’ amazing dude! It adds a certain sweetness,” Ryuji explained, his voice sounding serious.

“I figured Ann would like something like that, but aren’t you all about meat?” Akira questioned as he open the other box, revealing his own pizza.

“Well yeah, but after she recommended this to me I found out I freakin' love this stuff, besides what the hell is on yours?” he responded, pointing in disgust at Akira’s pizza.

“Mushrooms, onions, bell pepper and olives,” Akira answered, shrugging.

“Where’s the meat bro, or the fish!” Ryuji whined, unable to understand how Akira could eat a pizza without any kind of meat causing Akira to laugh at him.

Ryuji soon joined in the laughter before the two of them starting eating their pizzas, laughing and chatting happily while they did.

* * *

“Man I am stuffed,” Ryuji said after they had cleaned up the crumbs and other leftovers.

“It was a lot of pizza indeed,” Akira responded, smiling at Ryuji.

“What do you wanna do now? We still got plenty of time before we need to sleep,” Ryuji asked.

He did not really know what they could do beside chatting or playing videogames, but he was curious what Akira thought.

“I’ll change into something more comfortable first, you don’t mind, do you?” Akira responded.

Ryuji shook his head as Akira grabbed some clothes and moved downstairs for some reason. Probably to prevent what happened at Ann’s place from happening again. Ryuji wanted it to happen again though, as he stripped down to his boxers himself, before rummaging through his bag. After a few seconds he found the clothes he bought the day before. Akira wouldn’t know what was going to hit him, he thought to himself, smiling.

“Ryu…” Akira muttered, as he finished walking up the stairs. Ryuji had decided to sit down on the bed after changing, making sure he was the first thing Akira saw.

“Hmm?” Ryuji responded teasingly.

“You’ve changed,” Akira stated, unable to keep himself from blushing heavily, causing Ryuji to cheer on the inside.

“I did,” Ryuji responded, teasing Akira even more as he leaned forward, making sure to flex his arms as he did so.

“Damn…” he could hear Akira mutter under his breath as the other boy quickly moved towards him, before sitting down next to him on the bed.

Ryuji leaned against Akira before he started shivering.

“It’s really cold in here, man,” he complained before he started leaning against Akira.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have stripped off almost all your clothes then,” Akira responded, smiling at the fact that Ryuji had sabotaged himself trying to tease him.

“Don’t y-you have a h-heater or something,” Ryuji asked, heavily shivering now.

“I got a different idea,” Akira stated, looking at him with a seductive look in his eyes before he pushed Ryuji down on the bed.

“H-hey,” Ryuji muttered, as he could feel Akira was trying to remove his shirt. He let him, before Akira took off his own and pulled the blanket around them.

Ryuji started blushing heavily, Akira was laying on top of him, his chest pressing against his, the blanket laying on top of them.

“Better?” Akira whispered, causing Ryuji to nod at him.

Akira planted a kiss on his face afterwards, before rolling off of Ryuji, laying down next to him.

Ryuji thought their moment was over now, but when he saw Akira look at him, eyes filled with adoration, he hoped it was just beginning.

Ryuji wrapped his arm around Akira’s chest, feeling him breath as he looked at him.

“Ryu…” Akira whispered, “I have to tell you something…”

Ryuji was taken aback by the dread he heard in Akira’s voice, was something wrong?

“You know about our plan for the heist, right?” Akira asked, causing Ryuji to nod. Ryuji knew most of it, or so he thought. Goro Akechi had infiltrated their group, presumably to set them up, and they were going to beat him at his own game.

“Do you realize…what will happen if it goes wrong?”

Ryuji could see Akira was almost crying now, causing him to pull him closer to him, their bare chests touching.

“It won’t go wrong, man, I don’t believe it,” Ryuji muttered, not wanting to think about the possibility.

“I could…not come back…” Akira whispered, sounding heartbroken as he did, before he started shaking. Akira seemed afraid and it caused Ryuji to feel fear himself. Sure they had faced death before, all of them could die at any point while they were inside the Metaverse, but they had never thrown their lives in danger so willingly before.

“You…suggested it though…” Ryuji muttered weakly, trying his hardest to hold back the tears that came with his realization.

“Because someone has to do it and…” Akira hesitated, causing Ryuji to look at him in confusion.

“What is it man?” he asked, although he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer.

“And I thought I had the least to lose…”

Akira looked away as he said that, trying to break free from Ryuji’s embrace. Ryuji wouldn’t let him though, instead forcing Akira to look towards him as he pulled him closer, tears in his eyes.

“You thought…?” he muttered, unable to form a complete sentence as he started trembling.

“Thought is the keyword Ryu…That was before I had you,” Akira said, before burying his head in Ryuji’s chest, unable to keep himself for crying.

Ryuji could feel the snot and tears run down his chest, slowly covering him, but he didn’t care as he wrapped both his arms strongly around Akira, resting his own head on his.

“It’ll be fine…you’ll be fine…” Ryuji tried to reassure Akira in-between his own sobs.

* * *

They stayed like that for a while, finding comfort in each other’s embrace until Akira finally calmed down. Ryuji’s chest was a mess at that point, covered in snot and tears, which Akira hadn’t noticed until he looked at him.

“I’m sorry for getting sloppy all over your Ryu…” he muttered apologetically, causing Ryuji to laugh.

“Hey, remember that time I got ambushed by those Black Oozes in Mementos? I was completely covered in black goo when they were done with me, this is nothing compared to that!” he said, trying to keep smiling as he flinched at the memory. Ryuji had found out, to his horror, that the mess didn’t disappear when they returned to the real world, instead turning into some slimy substance that had taken him a really long shower to get off.

It seemed to cheer Akira up a little though, as he smiled back.

“Still, let me get you a towel to clean up before you put your shirt back on,” Akira said, as he walked downstairs after putting his own shirt back on.

Now that he was alone Ryuji to check his phone. He opened the chat Ann had created earlier during the day, figuring he’d give them an update while he waited for Akira. 

> **Ryuji > **he liked the gift, you were right ;)
> 
> **Ann > **I told you! How’s your night?
> 
> **Haru > **I am overjoyed Ryuji-kun, hope you’re having fun?
> 
> **Ryuji > **it’s great :)

He put his phone away, deciding to not tell them about what happened, as he saw Akira walking back up with two towels, a wet and a dry one.

“Let’s get you cleaned up then,” he said, smiling at Ryuji as he motioned for the boy to stand up. Ryuji did as Akira suggested, holding out his hand to take the towel, but to his surprise Akira gently started cleaning the mess off of him.

“K…Kira, what are you?” he muttered as Akira slowly cleaned his chest. When Akira was finished, Ryuji’s face turned bright red as Akira started to slowly move his hands over his chest, having thrown away the towel at some point.

He started at the top of Ryuji’s pecs before tracing his fingers down, moving all the way down to Ryuji’s pants before he pulled his hand back, leaving Ryuji breathless.

“Just admiring you, you’ve got a really hot body, y’know?” Akira whispered seductively, causing Ryuji to turn even redder.

“T…Thanks, I put a lot of effort into it,” he muttered, looking away. Akira wouldn’t let him though, as he gently put his hand on Ryuji’s chin, turning his face back as he leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss was rougher than before, it felt like Akira put every fiber of his being into it as he pushed Ryuji back towards the bed, causing Ryuji to stumble and fall on top of it.

Akira slowly moved his kisses downwards, as Ryuji could feel his entire upper body being showered with kisses. When Akira finally stopped, Ryuji was breathless.

“What…what was that for?” he breathed heavily, taken aback by what had happened. He had thoroughly enjoyed it, but he didn’t understand why Akira had suddenly lost control like that.

“If tonight is our last night together…and I really, really hope it’s not, I want you to remember every part of it,” he explained as he smiled, causing Ryuji to smile back despite the implications.

“You want it to be memorable, huh?” he said, grinning at Akira mischievously.

“I do,” he responded as Ryuji pulled Akira down on the bed before taking the other boy’s shirt off.

“Let’s go one step further then,” Ryuji smiled as he pulled his pants off, leaving him in just his boxers.

“I like the smilies,” Akira said, blushing, as he looked completely stunned.

“I wanna feel you, Kira…but I’m not sure if I’m ready to…go that far, with anyone…” Ryuji muttered as he saw Akira removing his own pants.

“Let’s stay like this then,” Akira whispered, before he wrapped his arm around Ryuji and added “I don’t wanna force you if you’re not ready. Besides, this is way further than I expected to get tonight,”

Ryuji muttered a thank you, glad that Akira respected that he wasn’t ready to do the deed. He guessed that Akira was surprised, he generally presented himself with a lot of bravado, but deep down Ryuji wanted his first time to be romantic and special. Being with Akira was special, but he also felt like this wasn’t the right occasion for it to happen. Besides Akira would come back so the perfect time would be at some point in the future, it had to be.

Eventually both guys fell asleep, having their arms protectively wrapped around each other as their bodies stayed close.

* * *

> **  
>   
> Futaba > **so i was super bored and decided to turn on my Futaba TM Leblanc cameras to spy on our lovebirds.
> 
> **Futaba > **OH MY
> 
> **Ann > **Futaba you can’t tease us like this!
> 
> **Makoto > **Futaba, that’s a very private moment that you should not intrude!
> 
> **Futaba > **oh boohoo, it’s not like you don’t wanna see it ;)
> 
> **Makoto > **Well I never said that
> 
> **Haru > **Futaba-chan, what happened?
> 
> **Futaba > **i will now share one of my greatest treasures
> 
> **Futaba > ***sends screenshot*

Ryuji could see it was a screenshot of the room, you could barely see him and Akira as they were covered by a blanket, but even Ryuji could see why Futaba was implying what she was. Their clothes were all over the attic floor, along with very slimy looking towels.

> **Ann > **THEY DID THE DIRTY!
> 
> **Haru > **Forbidden love…
> 
> **Yusuke > **I am not quite sure if I follow this conversation.
> 
> **Yusuke > **I would also like to add that love is one of the purest emotions. There is no way a thing such as forbidden love exists, but on the off-chance that it does I must capture it on a canvas. Ryuji, Akira I implore of you to please let me attend your next meeting so that I can capture your beautiful bodies on canvas.
> 
> **Futaba > **oh my god inari
> 
> **Ann > **Yusuke XD
> 
> **Makoto > **Guys, I feel sincerely bad for Akira and Ryuji right now, how will they feel when they read this?
> 
> **Akira > **Nothing happened. Seriously, we just slept together.

Ryuji could see Akira had gotten up next to him, as he sat up with his back resting against the wall as Ryuji decided to do the same. When Akira noticed, he wrapped his arm around Ryuji to pull him close.

“Sleep well?” Ryuji asked, kindly looking at the boy next to him.

“In your strong arms? I don’t think I could ever sleep any better,” he responded, smiling brightly once more before they could hear both phones vibrating.

To their horror they felt their phones buzz almost immediately and saw that Futaba’s cameras had captured another picture…of a shirtless Akira having his arm around a shirtless Ryuji.

> **Futaba > ***snickers*
> 
> **Ryuji > **the hell futaba turn those off!
> 
> **Ann > **I. NEED. MORE. (sorry Ryuji)
> 
> **Haru > **Oh my god, is this really occurring right now?
> 
> **Makoto > **You all need adult supervision, I am not sure if I’m enough.
> 
> **Ann > **Makoto please!
> 
> **Makoto > **I feel like I’m the only responsible adult in this conversation.
> 
> **Yusuke > **You guys are inspiration incarnate. You must model, I insist.
> 
> **Akira > **Enough! Shouldn’t you all get ready for school?
> 
> **Futaba > **shouldn’t you? you two are still pretty much naked and your train leaves in 30 minutes.
> 
> **Futaba > **i can see everything you know? 

After reading the text, both guys quickly looked at each other before realizing they’d be in real trouble if they didn’t get ready within the next 30 minutes, rushing to put their school uniforms on.

When they ran downstairs, Sojiro handed both of them a bag of sandwiches to eat on the train, looking at them knowingly while whispering something about young love.

Ryuji smiled at Akira as he held open the door, deciding that despite everything he would cherish this moment for now.

“We’re gonna be late, man!” he yelled as Akira ran towards him, smiling before they set off for the station.

* * *

 Ryuji didn’t feel his phone vibrate as another message popped up on his screen:

> **Mom > **Ryu-kun, I’ve thought about this for a while and I just want to ask. Is Akira more than just a friend? I’ll be home this afternoon, can we please talk about this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dislike how some things were glossed over in the game (like Joker’s huge gambit in the 6th palace), because the thieves must’ve felt something.  
> So I decided that I'm going to start incorporating things like that a little bit from here on out. You’ll see in a few chapters xP  
> This chapter got super long, but there was a lot of fluff. I hope I didn’t tease too much on the more “sexy” parts, but I want their first time to be special and I thought it’d be a fun contrast to his usual personality to have Ryuji be the one to slow them down.
> 
> I also loved writing the Phantom Thieves group chat at the end, it helps me get more comfortable with the characters before they take their proper places in the story xD
> 
> Next chapter we’ll have our final mellow chapter for a while as Ryuji’s mother is up to something! So I hope you’ll join me for chapter 7 called “Meet My Mother”.
> 
> Please leave a comment if you’d like as well, would love to hear what you guys think ^_^


	7. Panic Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji doesn’t know what hits him when he reads the text his mother sends him as he has to deal with something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was dealing with bad writer’s block as I wrote this, eventually causing me to make a lot of changes and using this as a set up chapter of sorts.  
> You’ll still get the dinner with Ryuji’s mom next chapter, but I wanted to properly set that up and so some other things (more in the notes below).  
> Buckle up though, because it’s going to be a rough ride since this is probably the most angsty thing I’ve written since the bullying chapter.  
> Anyways, I hope you’ll enjoy this chapter despite the changes and I deeply apologize for what’s going to happen to Ryuji here >.>  
> Added some new tags too, figured they were fitting at this point.

**Ryuji Sakamato**

When Ryuji checked his phone during class and saw the text his mother sent him, he almost dropped it as millions of thoughts rushed through his head at once.

> **Mom > **Ryu-kun, I’ve thought about this for a while and I just want to ask. Is Akira more than just a friend? I’ll be home this afternoon, can we please talk about this?

How’d his mother find out? Why did she send him this? Was she going to be mad at him? Or worse, was she going to be disappointed? He couldn’t disappoint her again, not after everything she’s sacrificed and done for him. She was the only family he had left, the only one who still approved of him. What if she would despise him for having developed feelings for another guy? What if he was kicked out of the house? What if he would be all alone? Abandoned by the only family who loved him. Even Akira wouldn’t be able to fill that hole.

Ryuji stood up, feeling very dizzy, as he asked his teacher if he could step out for a minute. Luckily it was Japanese class and Miss Kawakami said it was alright, looking at him with a concerned look on her face as he quickly walked out.

Leaning against the wall, Ryuji’s breathing kept getting heavier before his legs gave out and he slid down.

“Ryuji-kun?” He thought he could hear a voice calling out his name, but no one was supposed to be walking around the hallways at this time.

“Ryuji-kun, are you okay?” He looked up, still breathing heavily, to see a worried Haru standing in front of him.

“H-Haru…” Ryuji muttered, trying his hardest to breathe normally even though he was slowly losing control.

“It’s fine, Ryuji-kun. I’m here,” she said, trying to soothe him as she sat down next to him. She hesitated at first, but put an arm around him when his breathing got worse.

“C-Can’t breathe…” he choked as his feelings of panic got the better of him. He had never experienced anything like this before and it freaked him out.

“I said it was fine to stay out for a little bit Sakamoto-kun, but you can’t just…” he heard Miss Kawakami say, making it even harder for him to breath.

She quickly changed the tone of her voice when she saw him, rushing over to his side as she turned to Haru.

“Okumura, can you get the nurse?” she asked immediately, causing Haru to nod quickly as she rushed off towards the nurse’s office.

“T-teach…w-what’s…h-happening?” Ryuji muttered, struggling to get out the words between his ragged breaths.

“You’re having a panic attack, Ryuji. It’s going to be fine, I promise,” she said, having changed her demeanor to the one she used when she was counseling him.

“P-panic a-a-a-atta…”

Ryuji couldn’t form words anymore as he lost complete control over his breathing, he felt like he was going die, his throat closing as he desperately tried to suck for air before everything in front of his eyes turned black. He could vaguely hear people calling out to him before he lost consciousness entirely, the last thing he remembered being a crippling fear of dying.

* * *

The first thing Ryuji noticed when he opened his eyes was the intense pain he felt inside his head as he tried to take in his surroundings. The bright light in the room made his headache worse as he blinked a couple of times. The last thing he remembered is that he couldn’t breathe. He briefly wondered if he had died, before he realized he laying down on what looked like a hospital bed.

“Ryuji-kun?”

Ryuji tried to focus on the direction where the voice came from, seeing Haru sitting in a chair next to the bed he was in. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes when she saw him look at her.

“Am...sorry,” he muttered before he started coughing. His throat really hurt.

“Don’t worry about it Ryuji-kun, I’m just glad I was there,” she said gently as she shook her head.

“How are you feeling Sakamoto-kun?” he heard a familiar voice ask.

Ryuji looked around before he saw Miss Kawakami leaning against the wall, looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

“Everything...hurts…”

He wanted to say more, but he could barely manage to speak. His throat started throbbing more every time he managed to get a word out.

“W-Water…” he muttered eventually, causing Haru to quickly hand him the cup that was next to his bed. He downed the cup in one go, causing the pain in his throat to subside a little.

“Are you alright with visitors? There’s 3 people anxiously waiting in front of this office,” Miss Kawakami asked him, a gentle smile on her face.

Ryuji nodded causing Miss Kawakami to make her way outside, after explaining to him that she was unable to stay since she had to teach another class. She also decided that she was going to call his mom to pick him up, there was no way Ryuji was going to go back to class today.

Before Ryuji could protest, Miss Kawakami left. Ann and Akira storming in a split second later, Makoto following closely behind him. All Ryuji could do was stare at them in shock as he saw them. They seemed beside themselves with worry. Akira had clearly been nervously playing with his hair as it was messier than usual and both Ann and Makoto looked a tad disheveled.

“Yo…” he tried to say cheerfully, before he started coughing again, causing Haru to hand him another cup of water.

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

Haru realized that Ryuji was in no state to talk, he would only strain himself, so she decided to take it upon herself to make sure everyone knew what had happened before. The nurse had told her that if Ryuji talked too much or got too worked up, he could slip back into another panic attack and she was going to try her hardest to prevent that from happening.

“Would you like me to tell them what happened Ryuji-kun?” she asked, smiling at him as he nodded.

“I was walking down the hallway, on my way to class because my driver had been late, when I saw Ryuji-kun sitting against the wall. It seemed strange to me, but I went to greet him anyway. That’s when I noticed he was starting to hyperventilate. I was about to scream for help, but Miss Kawakami showed up at that moment and she sent me to get the nurse.”

Haru took a deep breath, looking at the others. She didn’t like to remember what happened next.

“What happened next?” Makoto inquired, causing Haru to continue her story, feeling tears inside her eyes as she remembered what happened.

“I ran towards the nurse’s office, getting Miss Yagami as quickly as I could before we headed back to Ryuji’s. I called out for him when I saw him, but I think he was losing consciousness at that point so he didn’t see me. I was really scared, because Ryuji-kun stopped moving at that point, only occasionally having a muscle spasm as he was just…laying there. Both Miss Yagami and Miss Kawakami assured me he was going to be fine, but seeing Ryuji-kun like that really made me sad. I can’t believe people pushed him that far…”

Haru had to wipe the tears from her eyes at that point. She meant was she said and she hated the people who did this to Ryuji. She knew a little about what could cause panic attacks, but Miss Yagami explained to her that they were generally caused if a person was dealing with a lot of stressful situations at once. Haru, along with the rest of their friends, had figured out that Ryuji was struggling with things from his past even though they never explicitly mentioned it to him. There had also been the bullying incident a couple of weeks ago, not to mention the stuff with Kamoshida the year before.

She really wanted to help Ryuji, but she knew that he only confided in Akira and Ann and she would never force him to talk to her. She hoped that Ryuji would one day confide in her too though as she had developed a soft spot for the boy. He was rude and vulgar and pretty much the complete opposite of her in a way, but that’s part of what made him so endearing to her. Ryuji also had the kindest and biggest heart out of everyone in the group, always dropping everything just to help out someone else. He was incredibly selfless, and Haru wished that more people would realize that.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“Thank you for taking care of him when I couldn’t, Haru,” Akira told her, trying his hardest to smile at her. He hoped that he had seemed sincere, but it pained him greatly that she had been there for him while he wasn’t.

He was Ryuji’s boyfriend, but it seemed like he was unavailable whenever Ryuji needed him the most and he couldn’t help but feel inadequate because of it. The fact that he was about to gamble with his life didn’t exactly help either. Ryuji had reassured him throughout most of their sleepover, even though he thought it would’ve been the other way around, not even thinking for a moment his own feelings.

Akira figured that the panic attack was his fault, assuming that Ryuji was probably freaking out about everything related to the heist. He wouldn’t have brought it up last night, he was too kind for his own good sometimes and while Akira loved that about Ryuji it also made things between them difficult.

“You’re welcome Akira-kun, I’m just glad I could help,” she responded, smiling through her tears.

All of a sudden, Ryuji started coughing violently causing everyone to look towards him in panic as they rushed over to his bedside. Akira could hear Ryuji’s breathing getting uneven again as he sat next to Ryuji on the bed, grabbing his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

“We’re all here, Ryu…” he whispered, unsure what to say or do.

“Miss Yagami explained this to me, because Ryuji just had a panic attack, he could easily get another one if he’s feeling stressed out…” Haru explained slowly, trying her hardest to stay calm.

“Everyone out, now,” Akira could hear the nurse, a petite woman with her black hair tied in a bun, say as she rushed towards them.

“I…I want Kira…here…” Ryuji muttered weakly in-between his ragged breaths, causing Akira to tighten his grip on Ryuji’s hand to make it clear to the nurse that he was not going anywhere.

Miss Yagami sighed as she told the girls to wait outside, before she sat down on the chair next to Ryuji’s bed.

“Sakamoto…listen to me, take deep breaths, can you do that for me? Just take deep breaths,” she told him as Akira looked on helplessly.

He didn’t know what to do, he felt out of place, only staying because Ryuji begged him too. He saw Ryuji looking at him, eyes filled with fearful tears as Ryuji seemed to try his hardest to control his breathing. Nothing seemed to work though as he could hear Ryuji's breathing slowly getting worse.

“Kurusu-kun, was it?” Miss Yagami asked without looking away from Ryuji.

“Yes,” he answered immediately, hoping that she would give him some way to help Ryuji out.

“Can you try breath with Sakamoto-kun? Just take deep breaths, it may help him if he sees you do it,” she suggested, causing Akira to nod immediately as he turned to Ryuji.

“Ryu, I’m going to breath with you, okay?” he asked, causing Ryuji to nod at him.

“So inhale deeply,” he said as he took a deep breath, seeing Ryuji attempt to do the same, before he exhaled, telling Ryuji to do the same.

He continued doing so, and to Akira’s surprise Ryuji’s breathing seemed to calm down as it slowly returned to normal, causing Akira to smile at him. They sat in silence for a while, Akira holding Ryuji’s hand as the other boy slowly drifted off to sleep. Miss Yagami explained that having two consecutive panic attacks must’ve tired Ryuji out before telling Akira that he could go back to class if he wanted to. Akira refused, saying that he wanted to be by Ryuji’s side when he woke up. Remembering that Ann and the others were probably still waiting in the hallway, he grabbed his phone to text them.

> **Akira > **Ryuji fell asleep, he’s fine though.
> 
> **Ann > **I am so glad, I was so worried about him.
> 
> **Makoto > **I see, should we come in?
> 
> **Akira > **You guys should probably head back to class, Miss Yagami tried to get me to leave so she’ll probably get on your case soon if she finds out you’re still waiting in the hallway.
> 
> **Makoto > **Sure, I guess we’re just attracting attention like this.
> 
> **Haru > **How are you holding up Akira-kun?
> 
> **Akira >** I’m fine.

Akira put his phone down after that. He lied to his friends, he was not fine at all. In fact, he hated this. He hated seeing Ryuji like this, it made him feel upset and powerless. Like he couldn’t be there for the other boy. The least he could do is stay by his side until he woke up, that way he could at least do something for Ryuji.

Akira didn’t realize that the only reason Ryuji calmed down is because he started breathing with him, something Miss Yagami decided to mention to Miss Kawakami when she got the chance.

Minutes passed until Akira heard the door to the Nurse’s office open.

“Excuse me, I am Mai Sakamoto, I heard my son was here,” he heard a voice say, causing the nurse to leave momentarily before she came back followed by short woman with long raven black hair.

Akira quickly figured out that she was Ryuji’s mother, especially after looking at her. Her face looked similar to Ryuji’s, Ryuji definitely had her eyes and nose, and even her build looked similar to his. It caused him to smile, although he wished he didn’t meet her under these circumstances.

“You must be Akira-kun?” she asked him, smiling brightly at him as he nodded.

“Thank you for taking care of my son, I hope he isn’t too much trouble,” she continued.

“It’s no problem, he’s a great friend,” Akira responded, trying his hardest not to blush.

“I see, well he talks about you a lot so I’m sure the feeling is mutual,” she told Akira, still smiling, causing Akira to smile back. Ryuji had told his mom about him, that was a good sign, wasn’t it?

“M-Mom?” Ryuji muttered, presumably waking up from the voices around him.

“Oh, I’m sorry Ryu-kun, did we wake you?” she asked him as she walked over to him.

“I’m sorry that you had to come here…” he muttered, his voice sounding hoarse, but at least he could speak again. Akira was happy that Ryuji seemed to have recovered a little after sleeping, he was afraid he wouldn’t have.

“Oh don’t worry about that Ryu-kun…” she started before he interrupted her.

“But what about your job mom…?”

Akira was surprised at how concerned Ryuji sounded, he knew that money was tight for the other boy and his mother, but was it really that bad?

“I took the rest of today and tomorrow off to take care of you. I have to work a double shift on Sunday but there’s no problem whatsoever,” she told him, smiling before she turned to Akira.

“I hate to impose but I borrowed a car from my friend and I was wondering if you could help me take Ryuji there? He’s quite a heavy boy and I’m not sure if I could support him if he fell over,” she asked, causing Akira to nod at her obediently as Ryuji’s face turned red.

“Am not heavy,” he muttered, looking away as Akira and his mother started laughing.

After Miss Yagami told them Ryuji was free to go, Akira helped him up, putting his arm around his shoulder as he helped him walk. Ryuji tried to protest, but Akira wouldn’t have any of it as he tightened his grip around his shoulder. They walked through the school, people whispering, before they left the building and walked towards the car. Akira helping Ryuji to get inside before he gave him a long hug and said a quick goodbye.

“I really have to get back to class now,” he told Ryuji’s mother as he turned around to walk off.

“Akira-kun,” she called to him, causing him to turn around in surprise.

“Would you like to come over after school tomorrow to check on Ryu-kun? You can even stay for dinner,” she asked him, smiling sincerely at him.

“I would love that,” Akira responded, a small smile showing up on his face as he quickly headed back inside the school building. He couldn’t resist Ryuji’s mother inviting him, although he wondered why she would go that far.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji drifted off again while his mother was driving him home, car rides always made him sleepy and he was really tired after everything that had happened.

His mother woke him up as they got home, helping him get out of the car before she helped him walk towards their apartment. Luckily, Ryuji was able to walk on his own again but that didn’t stop his mother from hovering around him worriedly. After entering the apartment he sat down on the couch in the living room, letting out a long sigh. Today was definitely not a good one.

His mother had gone off to the kitchen as he settled in the living room, before coming back with a tray of sandwiches and two glasses of water.

“I wanted soda…” Ryuji muttered, causing his mother to look at him as she raised her eyebrow at him.

“I just picked you up from the nurse’s office, you’re only drinking water for the rest of the day young man,” she told him sternly, before her face relaxed. She smiled at him as she handed him a sandwich, which Ryuji stuffed into his mouth quickly. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was, as his mother handed him another sandwich, which he gratefully accepted.

“How are you feeling, Ryu-kun?” she asked after he finished eating.

“Am fine…” he muttered, causing his mother to look at him in a way that caused Ryuji to realize he couldn’t pretend any longer.

“Ryuji,”

“I feel a bit shit, it really hurt mom…” he told her honestly this time, looking away. He felt terrible, he was burdening his mother again with his problems and he hated himself for it.

“So tell me about Akira, was he with you the entire time?” she asked him, changing the subject. All it did was remind Ryuji of the text she sent him, causing him to tense up.

“Ryu-kun? What’s wrong?” she asked, causing Ryuji to realize she must’ve seen the tense look on his face.

He sighed, there was no way out of this. He had to tell his mother, even if she despised him for it.

“I’m sorry…” he muttered, tears forming in his eyes.

“What are you sorry for?” she asked, not bothering to hide the confusion that filled her voice.

“Akira…”

“He seems like a nice kid to me, why are you apologizing for him?”

“Because he’s not just my best friend…He’s my boyfriend…” Ryuji mumbled, looking down. He could not face his mother, he was sure she was looking at him how the guys at school looked at him. Like he was disgusting and needed to have the gay punched out of him. Sometimes Ryuji himself thought it was wrong for him to like Akira. Was it a normal thing for him to like a guy?

He was more than surprised when he felt his mother wrap her arm around him.

“Oh, Ryu-kun, you were worried about that?” she asked him, smiling gently towards her son.

“You…you’re not mad?” he muttered, trying to blink the tears out of his eyes.

“I honestly knew, Ryu-kun. Ever since you met Akira he’s been all you’ve been talking about. You are so much happier since he came into your life. I am honestly a little scared of what would have happened to you if he didn’t…” she explained, smiling at him reassuringly.

“But dad would’ve…” Ryuji muttered, flinching at the idea what his dad would do to him if he ever found out about Akira, causing his mother to tense up.

“Well your dad isn’t here anymore, now is he?” she said, her face momentarily turning serious before it turned back to her usual gentle expression as Ryuji hugged her. He was really glad his mother accepted him for who he was, he didn’t let her down after all and it made him feel like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

“I invited Akira-kun for dinner tomorrow, so you can properly introduce him to me then,” she told him after he broke away from their hug, causing Ryuji to blush.

“Wait…you did what?” he muttered.

“Akira’s coming over for dinner after school tomorrow, does he like ramen?” she asked, pretending to not see the shocked look on Ryuji’s face.

Ryuji wanted to protest, before he heard the doorbell ring, his mother telling him to sit and wait for a moment as she went to get the door. When his mother walked back into the room, he could see she was being followed by a girl with blonde pigtails, Ann.

“Look who came to visit you,” his mom said, sounding cheerful as Ann rushed over to his side to hug him.

“I’m so glad you’re alright Ryuji,” she whispered as she pulled him close.

“Why don’t you take her to your room Ryu-kun?” his mom asked while she went to the kitchen to get them some drinks and snacks.

Ryuji hadn’t seen his mother this happy in ages, before remembering that she used to love it when he brought friends over.

“I’ll help him to his room Mai-san,” Ann said politely before she helped Ryuji get up from the couch. He was still wobbling on his legs, his limp being way worse than usual, as Ann slowly helped him walk towards his room. After they arrived they plopped down on his bed, before his mother came in holding a different tray than before. There were some chocolate cookies and two cups of sweet tea on the tray, causing Ann to cheer excitedly.

“I remember you liked this Ann-chan, is that still true?” she asked, causing Ann to give her an excited thumbs-up before profusely thanking her.

“I’ll leave you two alone then, call me if you need anything,” she told them, before heading back to the living room.

* * *

“I appreciate you comin’ and all, Ann, but why are you here?” Ryuji questioned, unsure why Ann was visiting him. It wasn’t one of the days they generally hung out, so he assumed she had been busy.

“Because we’re all worried sick about you, duh,” she told him, making a face as she burst into a story about their friends.

“Haru and Makoto really wanted to come too, but Haru needed to attend a company meeting and Makoto is preparing for the heist on Sunday. Akira went home to keep Futaba from rushing over over since she wanted to come over to have a gaming tournament to cheer you up and we all decided that you needed rest, not more stress. Yusuke and Morgana with them too, apparently Futaba is being a handful. I partially think she’s just faking it to keep Akira occupied though, we’re all kind of worried about him since he took what happened to you really hard and…”

“What about Kira?” Ryuji interrupted, not liking the idea of Akira being upset.

“After your mom took you home, he was being really hard on himself…” Ann said, looking away. It seemed like she hadn’t intended to tell Ryuji about that.

“Should…I call him?” Ryuji asked, causing Ann to shake her head.

“Maybe later, but aren’t you seeing him tomorrow? He seemed really excited about that at least…” she said, trying to smile at him. Ryuji could see Ann was worried though, although he wasn’t sure if she was worried about him or about Akira, perhaps she was worried about both of them.

Ann’s eyes suddenly brightened as it seemed she realized something.

“Um…Ann?” Ryuji asked, taken aback by the look of excitement in her eyes.

“I just realized we’re alone, which means you can tell me everything,” she exclaimed excitedly as she clapped her hands together.

“Everything…?” Ryuji muttered as he started blushing.

“About your sleepover, what else!” she yelled, causing Ryuji to signal her to quiet down.

Generally he was the one who needed to be told off for being loud, but for some reason his friends always liked to loudly embarrass him.

“…Did you do it,” Ann teased him, causing Ryuji to blush fiercely. She was not going to be subtle about this, was she?

“N-no…” he mumbled, causing Ann to laugh at him as Ryuji threw his hands up in defeat.

“We…made out and stuff…” he whispered, realizing that she wouldn’t leave him alone until he told her about what happened.

“And?” Ann asked inquisitively, having moved closer to Ryuji.

“We stripped and slept in our boxers together…”

“Awww, that is the cutest thing, you two are soooo precious. I have to tell Haru,” she said excitedly, causing Ryuji to blush even more.

“What about the towels though? We all assumed you used them to clean off after…” she asked, looking slightly confused.

“We had an…emotional moment and Akira got snot all over my chest…” Ryuji started before Ann cut him off with a squeal.

“Oh my god Ryuji you let him cry on your bare chest, that is so romantic!” she yelled excitedly as Ryuji silently prayed that his mother didn’t hear them.

“Shh, Ann,” he hissed, feeling really embarrassed.

“But Ryuji, isn’t this everything you ever wanted?” she asked, seemingly dreaming away in her own fantasies.

“Well yeah, but…”

“But…?”

“Am I… good enough for Akira?” he mumbled, as he looked down. He didn’t know why he still felt so insecure about his relationship, but if he could tell anyone, it would be Ann.

“Of course you are! Why do you think you’re not?” she asked, sounding more serious than before.

“I always seem to make him freakin’ upset…”

There was more to it than that, but Ryuji didn’t want to tell Ann about how he still had trouble seeing himself as worth anyone’s time. He knew that she would hug him, tell him that he is worth it, and he could rationalize as much himself at this point. It’s just that it took him a lot of time to actually believe he was worth it. Miss Kawakami explained to him that it would be a long process and that there would be setbacks, but he didn’t want his friends to know that there was a possibility it would take him a long time to recover from his shitty past. Only Akira knew, since Miss Kawakami had explained it during one of their sessions, but even when he brought it up Ryuji would smile at him and change the subject. He was not ready to talk about that yet, with anyone.

“Well, you’re his boyfriend. Of course he hates seeing you get hurt. We all hate it, it just hits him harder because he seems desperate to protect you,” Ann explained to him, before quickly pointing out that that was just her opinion and that he should ask Akira if he really wanted to hear it from him.

“He wants to protect me…?” Ryuji muttered, torn between feeling honored or belittled. He didn’t want Akira to think he couldn’t take care of himself, but he loved the fact that Akira cared so much about him that he wanted to protect him.

“He told Makoto as much,” Ann shrugged, causing Ryuji to make a face at her.

“How much do you guys talk about us anyways?” he asked, raising an eyebrow, causing her to laugh at him.

Ann stayed for a little while, before she decided she had to go home. Ryuji’s mom had offered her to stay for dinner, but she declined, saying she had plans to go to the diner with the girls. Ryuji figured she was most likely going to share part of what he just told her, causing him to let out a deep sigh before saying goodbye to her.

* * *

The rest of the night started off innocently enough. After eating dinner, Ryuji suddenly started to feel incredibly tired as his mother pointed out that it was probably because of the panic attacks. She told him to go to bed early, hoping that he would be able to recover that way. He shrugged as he went back to his room, deciding not to argue with his mom. She told him goodnight, before reminding him that he was staying home sick the next day.

After undressing himself, Ryuji decided to check his phone before going bed and saw that he had a couple of new messages from Akira, who seemed to be getting slightly more desperate for a response with each message. It struck Ryuji as odd, Akira was generally not as clingy. If anything, Ryuji was the clingy one of the two. 

> **Akira > **Hey Ryuji, how are you doing man?
> 
> **Akira > **I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you out.
> 
> **Akira >** I’m looking forward to tomorrow, I really wanna see you.
> 
> **Akira > **Can you please let me know if you’re alright though?
> 
> **Akira > **I’m sorry if you’re mad at me.

Ryuji shook his head, unsure why Akira would think he was mad at him, before he decided to take a big risk as he pressed the call button. To his surprise, Akira immediately picked up.

“Ryu, I’m so glad you called!” he could hear Akira’s voice say through the speaker. Akira sounded…off somehow and Ryuji decided to get to the bottom of it.

“Yo.”

“How are you doing man? Are you okay?” Akira asked, sounding stressed out.

“I’m doing better, how about you?”

There was a silence after Ryuji asked that and he swore he could hear Akira sniffle before he responded.

“I’ve…had better days,” Akira whispered quietly.

“Wanna talk about it?”

Another silence. Ryuji wasn’t sure what was going on, Akira was a quiet person, but he never took long to respond to him.

“Sure…”

“So what’s wrong then Kira?”

“Am I a bad boyfriend?”

Hearing Akira say that broke his heart a little, Akira sounded so small and vulnerable when he said that. Ryuji hated that he couldn’t just hug the other boy and wrap his arms around him.

“I guess that’s a yes…” Akira muttered, causing Ryuji to mentally curse himself out for getting lost in his thoughts.

“No, no, not at all! Don’t effin’ think that man! I was just thinkingabout why the hell you would think that!”

Ryuji realized he was yelling as he heard his own voice, but he couldn’t contain his emotions. Why the hell would Akira feel like that, it didn’t make any sense to him.

“I’m just never there when you need me. I wasn’t there for your panic attack, I wasn’t there to protect you…”

“The hell, man. I don’t need you to protect me!”

He could hear Akira’s breathing stop for a moment as it sounded like he was suppressing another sob, causing Ryuji to feel guilty for his outburst.

“Sorry…” Akira whispered, spurring Ryuji into action before Akira could hang up on him.

“No no, I don’t mean it like that. I mean, you can’t feel guilty over not freakin’ being there all the time, y’know? We’re almost the same age aren’t we bro? So you don’t gotta look out for me like I’m some little kid!”

“Well yeah, but…”

“Lemme finish Akira, I appreciate that you wanna take care of me, but we’re like…equals, y’know? And besides, you’re always there for me when I need you to be. You held my hand when I was sleeping in the nurse’s office, right? You came to be there as soon as you found out…so you were there…”

“If you say so…”

“Don’t give me that shit, you were there man! You’re always there, you gotta stop feeling like you’re not. You’ve been there from the start, you’ve always been there. Even when I had no one else I had you,”

“Ryu…”

“I mean it, I was effin’ lonely before I met you dude. You’re my boyfriend, sure, but more importantly you’re my best friend, no, Ann is my best friend, you’re more than that, you're my bestest friend in the entire world,”

“Bestest?” Akira asked as he let out a small chuckle, causing Ryuji to feel like he cheered him up a little.

“I made it up, the word, not everything else,”

“Thanks Ryu, but I have to say something to you now too…”

“What?”

“You’re my bestest friend too…” Ryuji could hear Akira pause for a moment, before he cleared his throat.

“The reason I felt down is because I don’t want to see you hurt. I’ve never had a friend like you, not back home…I didn’t have a lot of friends back home…”

“Shit man, that’s rough…”

“I didn’t mind much so don't feel sorry for me, but since I met you, you’re always there too and it caused me to realize what I missed out on...”

“Well, I did say the place I belong is by your side…” Ryuji said sheepishly.

“I guess that means I found my place as well,” Akira whispered, causing Ryuji to wonder what he meant.

“You did?”

“I think I said this before but…” Akira paused then, seemingly thinking about what he was going to say.

“The hell dude, don’t leave me hangin’!”

“My place is right next to you, Ryu, and that’s why I wish I was there for you…”

“You were there though, in my heart you’re always by my freakin’ side,”

Ryuji’s face turned red as he heard himself mutter those words, that was the potentially the corniest thing he ever said as he imagined Akira laugh at him.

“I see, I quite like that actually,” Akira responded to Ryuji’s surprise.

“You do?”

“Yeah, it makes me feel like I’m never leaving you alone.”

“And you’ll always rush to my side when I really need you, you always did before,” Ryuji whispered, trying to make Akira feel even better.

“And you’ll always rush to mine, won’t you Ryu?” he whispered back.

“Hell yes!”

“I’m glad...I love you Ryuji, I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Kira, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,”

He could hear Akira snicker on the other side of the phone, it wasn’t a malicious snicker though, he seemed genuinely touched by what Ryuji told him.

“Same, Ryuji. Same,”

“I’m really tired though, so can we continue this conversation tomorrow? When I see you?” Ryuji asked. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he didn’t want to risk getting another panic attack.

“Yeah sure, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Akira responded, causing Ryuji to feel relieved. He was glad Akira didn’t mind.

“Yea! See ya tomorrow Kira!” Ryuji said as he turned off the phone as he let out a deep breath.

He was exhausted, but he was happy he called Akira. He felt like they sorted something important out and he couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow.

* * *

There was one more thing he had to do before going to bed though as he opened the Phantom Thieves group chat.

> **Ryuji > **yo guys, thanks for everything today. you’re the best friends i could ever ask for…
> 
> **Futaba > **aww, Ryuji’s getting sentimental
> 
> **Futaba >** ill still destroy you, they may have saved you this time, but my gaming prowess will overwhelm you ;)
> 
> **Ryuji > **looking forward to beating your ass futaba :)
> 
> **Yusuke > **The others told me about the unpleasant experience you had today, I hope you’ll soon recover to your spunky, cheerful self.
> 
> **Ryuji > **im feeling better now, thanks.
> 
> **Makoto >** Ryuji, you should be on strict bed rest. Why are you texting us at this time?
> 
> **Ryuji > **makoto it’s not even 9
> 
> **Makoto > **Sick people should go to bed before then!
> 
> **Haru > **Leave him be Mako-chan, Ryuji wouldn’t be our Ryuji if he didn’t text us.
> 
> **Makoto > **True. I’ll allow it then, I am really glad you’re feeling better.
> 
> **Haru > **Indeed, I sincerely hope you won’t have to go through anything like this again, but if you do, I’ll be here for you.
> 
> **Ann > **We all will be!
> 
> **Akira > **Indeed!
> 
> **Ryuji > **:)

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

Haru was absentmindedly browsing through the apps on her phone. She was so happy that Ryuji was doing better, but she couldn’t help but feel like she could’ve done more. She was sad that she couldn’t visit him with Ann earlier, she really wanted to, but her father’s associates had called an urgent company meeting that she was forced to attend. She was about to put her phone away when it suddenly buzzed in her hands, startling her as she almost dropped it.

> **Ryuji-kun > **hey haru, thanks for everything today. you saved me by being there, you’re the best :)
> 
> **Haru > **I’m so glad I was able to help you Ryuji-kun!
> 
> **Ryuji-kun > **want to go out for tea sometime, as a thank you? you’re always nice to me, so i was hoping we could be better friends!
> 
> **Ryuji-kun > **sorry if that sounded weird…
> 
> **Ryuji-kun > **im not good at this…
> 
> **Haru > **I would love that Ryuji-kun!
> 
> **Ryuji-kun > **cool! let’s do it after the heist then!
> 
> **Haru >** :)

Haru couldn’t help but smile when she put her phone down. She finally felt like she was appreciated by someone other than Akira and it made her feel happy. It’s not that the others didn’t make her feel like she belonged, but she had always felt a bit on the outside ever since she joined the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji had always been nice to her, but she figured that that was just who he was and that he didn’t actually want to hang out with her outside of Phantom Thief business. She realized she must’ve been wrong though, Ryuji had a big heart and he must’ve never purposefully ignored her. Ryuji was too nice for that, Haru thought, hoping that nothing would happen to him that could ruin that kindness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really long note ahead:
> 
> So originally this was going to be the chapter where Ryuji’s mother invites Akira for dinner, but I felt like I didn’t set it up properly at all. I attempted to do it quickly, but then I decided to add a bunch of things and reached 5k words before I even reached the point where I could switch to the dinner. That’s when I decided to flesh out what I had, add some things, and push the dinner chapter back a little.  
> I also really wanted to add some character development since I had no idea where to fit it in otherwise (the next chapters are kinda full content-wise), so I decided to use this chapter as an opportunity to do that. Most of the things that were introduced here will become major plot points later on, but I didn’t want it to feel forced later so yea >.>  
> I hope none of this comes out of the blue though, because I think I touched on both Ryuji and Akira’s personal struggles in previous chapters.
> 
> I also thought it was unrealistic for Ryuji’s friends to ignore him having a panic attack, especially in the way I developed Ann and Haru, so that’s why they got bigger parts than I originally planned. This chapter was also super dialogue heavy, which was weird to write, and introduced Haru’s PoV on top of that. That was really fun though xD
> 
> In case anyone’s curious about the context on Ryuji’s panic attack and his state of mind in general, he’s been through a lot and it’s slowly becoming too much for him. Despite counseling and all the reassurance from Ann/Akira in previous chapters his issues are not gone and this is something you'll see a lot of in the second part of the arc I planned for him. The things with mental health is, is that it doesn't just disappear and I hope I wrote it realistically as I’ve experienced several of panic attacks myself and I really want to do it justice. Ryuji’s also the kind of guy who puts others before him and that’ll slowly come to bite him in the ass, so to speak, especially since Akira does the same. But yeah, you'll see what I mean later ^_^  
> Don't worry though, there'll be happier moments, but it's partially about the journey too and I did tag it as "It gets worse before it gets better" >_>
> 
> So yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed it despite it being heavy and that you look forward to the dinner and the aftermath, because I promise next chapter will be super fluffy to make up for this.
> 
> As always leave a kudo/comment and I hope to see you next time ^.^


	8. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Promise me something Kira,” Ryuji said as Akira was about to open the door and leave his room.  
> “Hmm? What is it Ryu?” he asked, a light frown on his face.  
> “Promise me that you’ll come back to me, I’ll always wait for you.”  
> “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s here now, the promised fluffy chapter! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!  
> Also first time using a parenthesis for a summary, it probably works better that way.  
> As you noticed there’s also a “Mild Sexual Content” tag now, it’s quite tame, but yeah. I think you’ll get why it’s there :3  
> I'll probs also take that further in the future, so yea ;)

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji was pacing nervously around the apartment. He tripped occasionally, still a bit worn out from the panic attack the day before, as he felt himself getting increasingly restless.

His mother had gone out to do some last minute grocery shopping and Akira could arrive any minute now. Was he ready for this? Did he look alright?

*ding-dong*

Ryuji nearly jumped into the air, being startled by the doorbell, as he quickly made his way towards the door. He had put a lot of effort into his appearance today, he really wanted to impress Akira even if the other boy would just be wearing his school uniform.

* * *

_After he woke up, Ryuji had spent ages rummaging through his closet before giving up and calling his mom for help._

_“What do you need help with Ryu-kun?” she asked, her head peeking inside the doorway._

_“I…uh…dunno what to wear since Akira is coming over soon…” Ryuji mumbled, blushing as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head._

_“I see, I see,” his mother said before entering his room._

_“What do you think he would like?” she asked Ryuji. The first thing that popped into his head was that Akira would probably like for him to wear something that showed off his muscles, but hell would have to freeze over before he would tell his mother that._

_“Probably something fancy, he’s never seen me in fancy stuff before…” Ryuji decided. It was true, even though Ryuji generally hated wearing anything that even resembled formal clothing he figured it would impress Akira._

_“Well, it’s just a casual dinner so you shouldn’t wear something that’ll intimidate him!” his mother pointed out, laughing at Ryuji’s dilemma before she pulled a black dress shirt, decorated with a white stripe that ran down the right side, out of the closet._

_“How about this? Does it still fit?” she asked before handing him the shirt, causing Ryuji to try it on._

_To his surprise it fit him even better than before, fitting tightly around his body and showing his muscles off nicely._

_“Maybe it’s a bit too tight…” his mom muttered, causing Ryuji to blush._

_“N-no mom, its fine. I’ll wear this, thanks!” he rambled, causing her to laugh loudly before she left the room, leaving Ryuji to pick a pair of black pants to wear with his shirt._

* * *

When he opened the door, he was met with a surprise when he saw that Akira wasn’t wearing his school uniform like he expected. He was wearing a gray blazer, white dress shirt underneath, as he was holding two bouquets causing Ryuji to remember that Akira worked at a flower shop.

“Hey Ryu,” Akira said happily as he handed one of the bouquets to Ryuji.

“Where’s your mom? I got this bouquet for her as a thank you for inviting me to dinner,” he asked, pointing at the bouquet he was still holding, after Ryuji offered him to come inside.

Ryuji was about to tell him that she was out to get groceries before the door opened again, revealing his mom in the doorway.

“I’m sorry I’m late, did I miss much?” she said, smiling, as both boys turned towards her.

“Not at all Miss Sakamoto, I just arrived. I got you these as a thank you,” Akira said immediately before he handed her the bouquet he was holding.

“Call me Mai, Akira-kun, and thank you,” she told him, pausing for a moment before she turned towards Akira, looking at him with a knowing smile.

“They are beautiful flowers. Dwarf sunflowers and camellias stand for gratitude, correct? So I take it you’re grateful I invited you over?”

Akira blushed as he shyly nodded, surprised that Ryuji’s mother knew so much about flowers.

“Dude, what do mine stand for?” Ryuji asked, excitedly showing his mother the bouquet he got causing her knowing smile to turn into a wide grin.

“Why don’t you take Akira to the living room and have him explain it to you while I put the groceries away?” she told him, still smiling as she took both bouquets with her to put them into a vase.

After moving to the living room, both boys sitting down next to each other on the couch, Ryuji turned to Akira before asking him what the flowers in his bouquet meant.

“Are you sure you want to know, Ryu?” he asked, blushing fiercely as he tried his hardest to sound mysterious.

“Hell yes bro, I’m curious now!” Ryuji exclaimed before taking a good look at the bouquet once more. He saw it consisted of red roses, red carnations and a pink flower that he didn’t recognize.

“Well alright, the roses are obvious as they show how much I love you. The carnations add to that, having a similar meaning. The pink flowers, well they…um…they’re a secret,” Akira responded, the blush on his cheek growing more apparent with every word he was saying.

“Pink peonies, huh? Don’t they stand for a happy, prosperous life and, potentially, marriage?”

Ryuji’s mother had shown up behind them, holding a tray with drinks, as she smiled at the both of them.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d ask my son to marry you right here,” she continued, causing Ryuji’s face to turn as red as Akira’s had.

“Mom don’t say stuff like that!” Ryuji yelled as he turned towards her while waving his hands in front of his face, causing her to laugh even louder.

“I was just joking, Ryu-kun. Why don’t you show Akira your room and play a videogame while I prepare dinner?” she told him, causing Ryuji to stand up immediately and take Akira to his room. He wasn’t ready for this kind of embarrassment.

* * *

“She doesn’t know I’ve been here before, huh?” Akira asked after Ryuji closed the door to his room, letting out a deep sigh as she did.

“Let’s keep it that way, please,” Ryuji muttered, before sitting down on the bed next to Akira.

“You really like pirates, huh?” Akira asked him, pointing out the fact that Ryuji’s room was decorated with several skull and pirate themed decorations causing Ryuji to blush.

“Guess my persona is Captain Kidd for a reason,” Ryuji said as he started laughing.

“I do not want to think what implies about the rest of our friends,” Akira said as he started chuckling, causing Ryuji to laugh even louder.

Akira moved closer to Ryuji after they finished laughing putting his arm around the other boy as he started to lean against him.

“I like your clothes, Ryu. You look really handsome,” he whispered in Ryuji’s ear, causing Ryuji’s face to turn red once more.

“I like what you’re wearing too, I’m surprised you had time to change,” he responded. He was genuinely curious about that though.

“I brought a change of clothes with me to school and changed in the school bathroom,” Akira confessed, causing Ryuji to laugh.

“You did all that just for me?” he asked, as he squeezed Akira’s hand.

“I wanted to impress you and your mom,” Akira whispered to him. It sounded so pure and honest that it melted Ryuji’s heart.

“Color me freakin’ impressed then,” Ryuji exclaimed before he leaned in for a kiss, pushing the other boy back on the bed.

Akira kissed him back, causing Ryuji to moan excitedly as the other boy put his tongue inside his mouth, before they started making out.

They broke free after a while, both of them breathing heavily as they looked a tad disheveled.

“I meant everything I said yesterday Ryuji, I love you,” Akira whispered, blushing as he looked Ryuji straight in the eye.

“I love you too, but…can I ask you something bro?” Ryuji asked. There was one thing that was bothering him and he wanted to find out what it was.

“Sure,” Akira said, smiling at him.

“Why do you keep telling me you love me? We haven’t been together for that long and while I love you too and don’t mind saying it…it’s just odd to me sometimes.”

To his surprise, Akira didn’t seem fazed by his question causing Ryuji to wonder if he had been expecting it as the other boy cleared his throat.

“I just want you to know in case something happens tomorrow,” he mumbled, looking away as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Right, the he…” Ryuji started before Akira put a hand over his mouth.

“Shh Ryuji, we can’t talk about it here with your mom around,” the other boy reminded him, causing Ryuji to nod at him.

“Sorry,” he muttered, before Akira hugged him closely.

Ryuji was surprised by how affectionate Akira was acting, but his explanation did make sense to him, as he hugged Akira back.

“We’ll be fine, y’know?” Ryuji whispered softly, causing Akira to break away from the hug and smile at him.

“I hope so,”

It wasn’t the confidence-inspiring answer Ryuji was hoping for, but he figured it would have to do for now.

* * *

“So, what do ya wanna do then? I got some games we can play or we can read manga or something?” Ryuji asked.

He missed the times where they would just hang out and do fun things, all they did was talk nowadays and it caused Ryuji to miss his best friend even if he saw him almost every day.He had resolved on getting that back after the phone call from yesterday. He had reminded Akira that he was his “bestest” friend, but it also reminded Ryuji himself of that fact. Ryuji figured they could just put a boyfriend-twist on their usual activities and wanted to try that out.

“Manga sounds good,” Akira responded, smiling at Ryuji.

They had both picked out a volume from Ryuji’s manga collection, before they settled on the bed once more. Akira had taken his blazer off at this point, casually laying on the bed with his back prodded against the wall. Ryuji had put his head on Akira’s chest, leaning against him as he was reading his own manga.

“Look dude, this scene is so cool!” he said excitedly, pointing at the scene he had read moments ago, causing Akira to glance over to him as he ruffled Ryuji’s hair.

“Show me,” he said, smiling, causing Ryuji to adjust himself so he was sitting next to Akira before showing him the scene. Akira leaned his head on Ryuji’s shoulder as the other boy excitedly told him about what made this particular scene so awesome.

“So what are you reading?” Ryuji asked, curious about what manga Akira had picked from his collection. There was a lot to choose from, as Ryuji had quite a diverse taste. Most of it was shonen, but Ryuji also had a couple of seinen and even some shoujo manga laying around.

“This…” Akira said, showing him the volume he was reading before he awkwardly looked away.

“Sailor Moon, huh?” Ryuji asked with a chuckle.

“I really like it, okay?” Akira muttered, blushing, causing Ryuji to laugh even harder.

“I like it too, y’know? Why else would it be in my collection?” he pointed out, causing Akira to playfully punch his shoulder.

“No fair, making fun of me like that,” he pouted, causing Ryuji to poke Akira’s sides.

“Hey, it’s got a good story man! Maybe we’ll end up like that some…” Ryuji said, before putting a hand over his mouth as he turned bright red.

It was Akira’s turn to laugh at him now as he wrapped his arm around Ryuji.

“Who knows,” he whispered, a slight blush covering his own cheeks as Ryuji leaned against him.

* * *

They continued reading through their manga volumes after that, before they could hear Ryuji’s mom knock on the door.

“Dinner’s ready boys,” they could hear her call out to them, causing them to get up from the bed as they made their way back to the living room.

“You’re walking better than yesterday,” Akira noted, smiling affectionately at Ryuji.

“I’m a fighter, y’know?” Ryuji said, returning Akira’s smile with a grin of his own.

“What are you two grinning about?” his mother asked when she saw them, causing both of them to sheepishly look away as she laughed at them.

“Just stuff,” Ryuji muttered as he and Akira quickly moved to the dinner table.

Ryuji saw that his mom had made his favorite ramen, smiling when he saw it.

“I made Ryu-kun’s favorite food, I hope you like it too Akira-kun,” his mother said to Akira, encouraging him to try it out.

Ryuji saw Akira take a bite, before he started grinning.

“It’s really good Mai-san!” he exclaimed, causing her to look at him happily.

Ryuji was glad his mother and Akira seemed to get along, he was afraid that she would somehow disapprove of him.

Akira and his mother moved to the living room after they finished eating, sitting down on the couch as Ryuji offered to do the dishes and make them some tea, before joining them in the living room himself. To his horror he saw that his mother had whipped out the thing he dreaded the most, a picture book. He almost dropped the tray he was holding on the floor, trying to desperately think of a way to prevent those pictures from being shown to Akira.

“We waited for you Ryu-kun, I was just about to show Akira some pictures of your childhood!” his mother rambled excitedly, signaling for Ryuji to go sit next to Akira.

“Yeah Ryu, I’m really excited to see these!” Akira teased him, causing Ryuji to stick his tongue out at him.

“Can we not?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“Nope,” both Akira and his mother responded in unison, before they started laughing, causing Ryuji to sit down after he sighed heavily.

Luckily there was only one book, because they didn’t really take a lot of pictures, but Ryuji figured that one book was more than enough as his mother opened it.

Akira looked at the first page, before he looked at Ryuji with a confused look on his face.

“What?” Ryuji asked, puzzled by the fact that Akira was looking at him like this. He hadn’t even seen a picture yet.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Akira inquired, raising an eyebrow at Ryuji.

“Tell you what?”

“That your birthday was on the 3rd of July,” Akira said, pointing at the first page since it had Ryuji’s birthdate on it.

“Um…” Ryuji said, unsure how to respond before he looked away.

“Ryu-kun doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday Akira-kun,” Ryuji’s mother explained to him, causing Akira to look at Ryuji.

“I see, I’m sorry I asked then,” he muttered, clearly feeling a tad embarrassed.

“No it’s fine, it’s just that we used to go out with my dad…before he left I mean. It was one of the few days where he wasn’t an abusive asshole and I just get reminded of him on that day,” Ryuji explained, as he saw his mother looking away. He didn’t really want to talk about it, it was a painful memory for the both of them, but he felt like Akira deserved to know.

Akira grabbed his hand in response, before smiling at him.

“Guess starting next year, we’ll have to make new memories. I want my boyfriend to look forward to his birthdays again,” he said with a smile, causing Ryuji to hug him as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Silly Akira…” he mumbled, causing Akira to laugh at him as he pulled him closer.

“I’m sorry for making you cry in front of your mom,” he grinned, causing Ryuji to punch his shoulder as he broke away from the hug.

“It’s no big deal, Ryu-kun used to cry all the time when he was a kid!” his mother said happily, being moved by Akira’s words.

“MOM!” Ryuji yelled, feeling embarrassed as both Akira and his mother started laughing again.

“I guess I can’t blame you too much, you don’t know when my birthday is either do you?” Akira asked him, turning towards Ryuji who shook his head.

“It’s the 17th of April, I’ve been 17 for most of the year,” Akira said as he shrugged, “I can’t believe you’re 17 too though…”

“The hell you mean by that?” Ryuji muttered as Akira started laughing again.

“I always thought you were a young one, maybe born in February or so?” Akira teased him as he ruffled the hair on Ryuji’s head.

“Am I that immature…?” Ryuji muttered, before his mother intercepted.

“Soooo, do you wanna see some pictures Akira-kun?” she asked with a smile on her face, causing Akira to immediately shift his focus to the picture book.

Ryuji saw his mother browse through the picture book with Akira, showing several pictures of him growing up. He was smiling on every picture, looking happier than he actually was.

“You’re not a natural blonde?” Akira asked Ryuji, snapping him back to reality.

“For real, dude!? I thought everyone knew that!” Ryuji exclaimed in surprise. He didn’t exactly keep it a secret he bleached his hair, then again Akira had never seen him with his own hair color.

“Well, I suspected it, but I guess I wasn’t sure?” the other boy said as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I bleach it every month, started doing it after the shit with Kamoshida,” Ryuji explained.

Akira looked at him for a moment, as if he wanted to ask if there was more to the story before he shrugged and started browsing through the picture book again. There was more to the story than that, but Ryuji was grateful that Akira didn’t ask about it. He would tell him at some point.

* * *

“Why don’t you boys go back to Ryuji’s room?” his mother asked after she finished showing Akira the picture book. Both boys agreed, Ryuji being glad that his mom couldn’t embarrass him further, before they went back to Ryuji’s room.

They settled on the bed once again after closing the door, Akira resting his head on Ryuji’s chest after they decided to lay down on the bed.

“You were such a cute kid,” Akira mused, one of his hands hovering above Ryuji’s shirt.

“Am not cute,” Ryuji muttered, he still had trouble with that word, it sounded a bit demeaning to him.

“Well you are to me,” Akira grinned, before he moved his hand down and started unbuttoning Ryuji’s shirt from the top.

“Can I?” he asked, causing Ryuji to nod at him as Akira slowly unbuttoned the rest of his shirt.

“Why are you so hot?” Akira whispered as he traced his finger alongside Ryuji’s chest, causing him to blush.

“B-Because I go to the gym thrice a week?” he muttered, causing Akira to laugh at him.

“Good answer,” he smiled, before he leaned in for a quick kiss.

“You’re older than I thought,” Akira whispered seductively after he broke away from their kiss.

“What do you mean?” Ryuji questioned, unsure why Akira brought that up now.

Akira started blushing heavily, before he muttered something that sounded like never mind, causing Ryuji to become even more curious.

“What is it Kira?” he sounded more serious now.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Akira whispered quietly, sounding a little upset.

“Come on now, don’t do that man!” Ryuji poked Akira’s side as he shook his shirt off, leaving him barechested.

“I’m baring my soul to you here, literally,” he said, grinning at his own joke as Akira made a face at him.

“I don’t think you know what that means, Ryu,” he laughed, before he looked slightly more serious.

“So what was that about man? Tell me honestly,” Ryuji asked, trying to match Akira’s seriousness.

“Sometimes I just really want to touch you…” Akira whispered softly, causing Ryuji’s face to turn bright red.

“T-Touch me…you mean? Like…?” he muttered, before Akira nodded at him.

“I…I dunno man…it’s really sudden and…um…” Ryuji stammered before Akira put a finger on his lips to shush him.

“Doesn’t have to be now, just…think about it?” he asked sincerely.

“I don’t want to force you into something you’re not ready for Ryu…” he added seconds later, before looking at Ryuji reassuringly.

Akira looked at Ryuji in shock as he unbuttoned his jeans. Ryuji wasn’t sure if this is what Akira wanted, but he figured he could offer him something.

“You…you can touch my boxers if you want,” Ryuji muttered after he finished taking his pants off, leaving him in just his underwear.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that Ryu? I…don’t want to force you into things,” Akira asked him, a sincere look of concern on his face.

“Ye bro, I’m sure…” he whispered softly.

“Could you um…take of your clothes too though…I’d be more comfortable that way…” Ryuji asked before Akira could make a move, causing Akira to smile and nod as he stripped off his own shirt and pants.

“Better?” he asked before Ryuji nodded. Ryuji could see that Akira had been working out himself, he wasn't as muscular as he was, not by far, but you could see that Akira was working on it.

Akira then moved so he was hovering on top of Ryuji, once again tracing a line down the other boy’s chest. He didn’t stop when he reached the waistband of Ryuji’s boxers this time, instead playing with the elastic band before moving his finger down across the fabric.

Ryuji moaned excitedly, not expecting to like the feeling of Akira touching him this much, as he could feel Akira carefully trying to pleasure him.

“It’s…good…” he stammered, becoming very aware that something was growing bigger by the minute, something which Akira seemed aware of as well as he wore a proud smile.

“Do you want to try?” Akira asked causing Ryuji to blush.

“Can…can I do it next time we’re together?” he muttered. He wanted to look this up and be prepared. He wanted to give Akira a perfect time and he needed to prepare for that.

Akira raised his eyebrow before he shrugged as he started rubbing the fabric of Ryuji’s boxers with his entire hand causing Ryuji to moan excitedly once again. He didn’t want his mom to hear them though, so he tried to moan as quietly as he could.

“Did you like it Ryu?” Akira whispered after he pulled his hand back, slowly dropping himself so he ended up laying on top of Ryuji.  
“Y..yes…” Ryuji stammered while adjusting to the weight of Akira’s body suddenly being on top of him as he wrapped his hands behind the other guy’s head.

“What are you…?” Akira said in surprise as Ryuji pulled him in for a kiss that lasted for what felt like forever. Akira rolling off of Ryuji when they finally broke free, both guys breathing heavily as Ryuji wrapped his arm around Akira’s chest laying on his side to face him.

“Do you have to do it tomorrow?” he asked, tears pricking in the back of his eyes.

“You know I do Ryuji,” Akira answered, before he wiped the tears from Ryuji’s eyes.

“I know, I just wish you didn’t…”

“Neither do I, but it’ll be alright, I have something amazing to look forward to now,” Akira whispered, winking at Ryuji before snuggling close to him. Ryuji then wrapped his other arm around Akira, pulling him in a loving embrace one final time.

* * *

 After they broke free, they both got dressed again. Trying to fix their disheveled looks before Akira had to head home. It was pretty late at this point and tomorrow was a big day.

“Promise me something Kira,” Ryuji said as Akira was about to open the door and leave his room.

“Hmm? What is it Ryu?” he asked, a light frown on his face.

“Promise me that you’ll come back to me, I’ll always wait for you.”

“I promise.”

Before Akira left, he went back into the living room to say goodbye to Ryuji’s mom. She told him that he was always welcome to join them for dinner whenever he wanted to, putting a smile on Ryuji’s face. He was really glad his mom liked Akira.

After they had said their goodbyes, Ryuji walked Akira to the door. He was about to wave goodbye to him before the other boy pulled him close. Hugging him as if his life depended on it.

“Don’t forget I love you Ryu, I’ll keep my promise,” he whispered before he pulled away, quickly saying a goodbye once more before he rushed out the door.

Ryuji’s mom turned to him after Akira left, a look of surprise in her eyes. Their hug had lasted for what felt like forever and apparently his mom thought the same.

“You know Ryu-kun if I didn’t know better, Akira hugged you like this was the last time you guys could,” she said, unable to hide the worry on her face.

Ryuji could feel his stomach drop after he heard his mom said that, hoping sincerely that she was wrong…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry ‘bout the relatively short chapter, I tried to stretch it out but I’m anxious to get to the next bit and I didn’t know what else to put here >.<  
> It took me ages to find flowers that symbolize gratitude, turning this into a pretty long flower research xD The ones symbolizing love were a lot easier and I couldn’t resist the peonies once I read about them and who knows, maybe they’ll be back later :3  
> As far as I know there also isn’t an official birthday for Akira, so I settled on it being before Ryuji's because Ryuji being the older one of the two didn’t feel right xD  
> This is also the closest I’ve ever gotten to writing a sex scene and I wonder what you guys think, so if you got any pointers or suggestions, please let me know and I’ll try and use it in future chapters because there’ll be more of this after shit calms down ^.^
> 
> And yes, there’s another cliffhanger :3 There’ll be a daylong timeskip next time as well, next chapter starting the day after they completed the heist on the casino. It’ll also be my first real divergence from canon as I’ll disregard the cutscene from that day, rewriting Ryuji and Ann’s parts to better match my story.
> 
> Hope you guys join me next time and that you leave a kudo/comment :P
> 
> Oh and if anyone wants to chat, I'm on tumblr now :3 http://raindene.tumblr.com/


	9. Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji muted the group chat after reading Haru’s message, putting his phone back in his pocket as he let out another sigh. He did not want to see his friends right now. In a way, he blamed them for all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Finals are being, well, finals and I was a bit occupied with the new FFXIV patch while having a lot of trouble to write this down. Like I know how I wanted it to progress, it was just incredibly hard to write down for some reason.  
> Anyways, some actual slight divergence from canon from here on out (I’ll point out noteworthy parts on a chapter-to-chapter basis). Stuff will still mostly progress along the game’s storyline, just want to work in my plot points and of course Ryuji and Akira’s relationship.  
> Also over 50.000 words now! :3 Kinda proud of it xD

**Ryuji Sakamato**

Ryuji restlessly walked around Shibuya, he couldn’t stay at his apartment and do nothing all day. It would drive him crazy and he was hoping that Shibuya would distract him somehow. He was wearing the gray blazer Akira left at his place the day before over his shirt, its smell reminding Ryuji of the other boy. In a way Ryuji was glad that Akira had forgotten it the day before. It smelled like him, a faint smell of coffee with hints of curry spices. Ryuji didn’t like coffee much, he always felt like it was too bitter, but he loved the way it made Akira smell.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, pulling it out as he sighed and started leaning against a nearby wall.

> **Makoto > **I am so sorry guys, I have been trying to get a hold of my sister all day but she’s not answering. I hope she managed to get to Akira in time...
> 
> **Haru > **I really hope our plan worked, I don’t want to think about what would’ve transpired if it didn’t...
> 
> **Ann > **Don’t be so negative! We just gotta believe guys!
> 
> **Futaba > **i really hope akira’s fine…he’s like my big brother…
> 
> **Yusuke > **Are you alright Futaba? Would you like me to keep you company on this tumultuous Sunday?
> 
> **Yusuke > **Perhaps we can make another artwork together?
> 
> **Futaba > **thanks inari…
> 
> **Yusuke > **Is that a yes?
> 
> **Futaba > **yes you idiot
> 
> **Makoto > **Would anyone else like to meet up?
> 
> **Haru > **Sure Mako-chan.
> 
> **Makoto** > Lovely. Could you come to my place? I’m hoping my sister will contact me or show up and I would like to be home when she does.
> 
> **Haru > **I will require directions for my driver, but sure.
> 
> **Makoto >** How about you Ann, Ryuji?
> 
> **Ann > **I’m not sure, I’ll let you guys know.
> 
> **Makoto > **How about you Ryuji?
> 
> **Haru > **Are you okay Ryuji-kun? You seem awfully quiet.

Ryuji muted the group chat after reading Haru’s message, putting his phone back in his pocket as he let out another sigh. He did not want to see his friends right now. In a way, he blamed them for all of this. No one aside from him had objected to Akira being the bait. Sure, Ryuji knew that Akira had offered and that he was the most versatile Persona user out of all of them but it seemed like everyone was okay with him risking everything.

Ryuji was not okay with that, not at all, and he knew that he would end up yelling at this friends if he met up with them, so he decided to avoid them altogether. He did not want to hurt their feelings because he couldn’t control his own.

* * *

 “I figured you’d be here Ryuji,” he could hear a voice say next to him. He quickly turned his head towards the source, revealing that Ann had been leaning against the same wall as him.

“Ann?” he muttered, surprised by her sudden appearance.

“I’ve been standing here for quite a while, y’know? You seemed quite lost in your thoughts,” she shrugged while smiling at him.

Ryuji just grunted. He was not in the mood for anyone right now, not even Ann.

“You okay Ryuji?” she asked, looking at him with a concerned look on her face.

All Ryuji wanted to do at that point was run away, he was faster than Ann and he could easily outrun her. The only problem was that he still couldn’t run properly because of what happened over the past weeks and the heist had exhausted him on top of that, leaving his bad leg even sorer than usual.

“Does it even freakin' matter?! You guys didn’t listen to my concerns before!” he spat out, his voice sounding hostile.

“I figured you’d be upset about that,” Ann sighed causing Ryuji to just angrily stare at her.

“Come on Ryu, let’s go to the diner and talk this out,” she offered after he didn’t say a word.

“Don’t call me that,” he hissed, “only Akira can call me that.”

“Ryuji…”

“Leave me alone Ann, I’m not in the mood today,” he said, before storming off, quickly walking into a random direction.

He walked as fast as he could, continually quickening his pace as his leg throbbing like crazy when he forced himself to walk faster. He just needed to be alone, he needed time to clear his head and he didn’t need to burden anyone else with that.

Ryuji somehow ended up at the famous crossing and saw the huge TV screens attached to the buildings that towered above him. All screens changed channel at once, showing a news reporter instead of the usual adverts.

“Breaking News as the reported leader of the Phantom Thieves commits suicide while in police custody,”

Ryuji froze up, his face going white with fear as he turned towards the TV screen.

“You’re kidding…” he muttered. Ryuji couldn’t remember if this had been part of the plan, but it felt like it was moving too fast. They knew Akechi was dirty, but for him to move against Akira immediately…

Ryuji felt himself getting dizzy as he tried to focus on the news report.

“The so-called leader of the Phantom Thieves was taken into police custody last night, before allegedly committing suicide during his interrogation. He was reported dead by the police this morning, but an official statement has yet to be made. Has his guilty conscience driven him mad and should this be taken as a confession?”

Ryuji couldn’t hear the rest as he tried to force himself not to burst into tears. He wanted to cry, he was not ready to hear these words, before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Ryuji…”

He turned around to see that Ann had followed him, he was surprised she had kept up with him, and he could no longer bring himself to push her away.

“He’s alright, right Ann? He has to be!” he yelled, tears glistening inside his eyes.

“Please keep it together Ryuji, people are staring and we can’t be found out,” she whispered, grabbing his arm as she pulled him with her. Ryuji could easily break free of her grasp, but followed Ann obediently. He knew she was right, everything Akira was gambling on would be in vain if they got caught now and he would never forgive himself if he was the cause of that.

“We could go to my place…my mom’s working a double shift today,” he said after quietly following Ann around for a while causing her to let go of him.

“We can, or we can go to mine. I even got those noodles you like and my apartment is closer to Shibuya than yours,” she said with a concerned smile. It was pretty obvious to Ryuji what she was implying, she didn’t trust that he could hold himself together if they had to travel all the way to his place and he couldn’t exactly blame her for that. He did not believe he could either.

“Whatever you want though, if you want to go to your apartment we can go there,” she added after Ryuji didn’t respond.

“Your place is fine…probably smarter anyways,” he muttered quietly as they started heading for the train station.

He could feel Ann’s eyes on him while they were walking to the train station, slowly realizing how worried she must be about him. Maybe he shouldn’t be so hard on her, she had really been there for him ever since they reconnected and she was definitely his closest friend next to Akira.

“Can we talk later Ann? Like really talk?” he mumbled, unsure if she even heard him before she seemed to perk up, smiling at him softly.

“Of course we can silly,” she said, punching his arm softly as he smiled back.

They chatted a little bit on their way to Ann’s apartment, but Ryuji didn’t really feel like talking and after he apologetically mentioned that to Ann she left him be deciding to listen to music on her phone instead.

* * *

They eventually got to Ann’s apartment after walking in silence for a while, Ann unlocking the door as soon as they arrived.

“Make yourself at home Ryuji, I’ll be right back,” she said with a smile before she walked off to the kitchen, presumably to get them something to drink.

Ryuji decided to make the most of it, sitting down on one of the couches as he sighed. He kept telling himself that Akira would be fine, he had to be.

“So, what’s on your mind Ryuji?” Ann asked him, handing him a can of his favorite soda before she sat down next to him.

Ryuji sighed again, figuring he should at least talk to someone.

“Just stuff with Kira…” he mumbled.

“You’re worried about him not coming back, aren’t you?”

“Why would I effin’ not be? You guys don’t know how scared he was, he didn’t want to do it! He just felt like he had to because he’s our freakin’ leader!” Ryuji yelled angrily as Ann put her hand on his shoulder.

“Akira’s going to come back Ryuji,” Ann told him, trying to calm him down.

“How do you freakin’ know? Makoto can’t even reach her sis! What if something effin' went wrong, huh? What if the news report was telling the freakin' truth? What if that shitbag Akechi got to him? What if he’s freakin' dead!?” Ryuji spat the last question out like it was the most disgusting thing he had ever said, before the tears burst from his eyes as Ann wrapped her arm around him.

“I don’t want to live without him Ann, I can’t…” he stammered desperately. His entire body felt like it was breaking apart, he felt broken without Akira. He needed him around to function.

“What do you mean, Ryuji?” Ann asked, sounding wary and catching Ryuji by surprise. Why was she so concerned about him? Akira was the one in trouble and Ryuji could care less about his own problems right now.

“This isn’t about me Ann!” he stated aggressively, causing her to let go off him which Ryuji saw as a sign he could continue.

“It’s about Kira. I will never forgive myself if anything happens to him, if I wasn’t there to stop it! He’s my rock, I can’t function without him. I built my entire effin’ life around him and if he’s gone…I may as well…I may as well be too!”

“Do you think Akira would like it if you say that shit about yourself!?” she yelled at him, staring at him in shock before slapping him across the face.

Ryuji put his hand on his sore cheek, before looking at her with a scowl on his face.

“The hell was that for?”

“Never, ever imply that you’re better off dead. You’re my best friend you idiot! I would miss you, hell all of us would miss you! So don’t you dare Ryuji, don’t you dare say that!” Ann yelled, looking like she was about to start crying herself.

“I’m sorry, I just…” Ryuji said apologetically before Ann cut him off.

“Don’t, Ryuji. Just promise me you won’t say stuff like that…”

“I promise Ann, I’m sorry…” he muttered, looking away before she pulled him into a hug.

“Akira will be fine Ryuji, but you can’t forget yourself for his sake. You can’t take care of him if you’re not taking care of yourself…” she whispered to him. Ryuji thought it sounded like a warning, but he knew it was a warning he couldn’t heed. He would drop anything to help Akira out, even if he would hurt himself in the progress.

* * *

They sat like that for a bit before Ann let go of him and looked at him seriously.

“So Ryuji, what’s really going on? We all knew the risks, Akira most of all, but we all decided this was the only way. What’s with your lack of belief?” she asked, looking at him like she could see right through him.

Ryuji was always surprised at how perceptive Ann was before he let out a sigh. She was right in the sense that there was more to the story as Ryuji cleared his throat to explain what it was.

“I think he wanted to have sex last night…” he whispered as his cheeks turned red.

“Oh….” Ann seemed to need a moment to collect her thoughts before she turned towards Ryuji once more.

“Oh my god Ryuji, what happened?” she inquired loudly, shifting her entire demeanor as Ryuji swore she started excitedly bouncing in front of him as he told her what happened the night before. How Akira had touched his boxers, but how he hadn’t felt like he was ready for more.

“He whispered how much he loved me before he left…What if we can never have effin’ sex Ann?” Ryuji asked her, causing Ann’s face to turn bright red.

“Um…” she muttered, trying her hardest to recollect herself. Ryuji would have laughed at her if the circumstances were different, but it was something that really did bother him. What if his obsession with wanting his first time to be special cost him his one chance to be intimate with the person he loved the most? Cost Akira his only chance to be intimate with him?

“Well for what it’s worth, I think it’s nice you’re like this Ryuji. You want your first time to be special and there’s nothing wrong with that. Akira respects it too and I’m sure he thinks it’s endearing,” Ann told him, smiling softly as his face turned redder than a tomato.

“I…uh…” he muttered as he rubbed the back of his head before he looked towards his lap.

“Thanks Ann…” he whispered after Ann just looked at him in silence, patiently waiting for Ryuji to say something.

“For what?” she asked, a little surprised at how soft Ryuji’s voice sounded.

“For sticking with me, I know I’m a big pain sometimes…” Ryuji whispered, still looking at his lap.

“Look at me, Ryuji,” Ann said, causing Ryuji to look up at her.

“You’re not a pain, none of us think that, y’know?” she asked after he looked up, causing him to want to look away again.

“But…I’m loud and vulgar and I almost blew our cover so many times…I’m sure everyone just tolerates me because of Kira…” Ryuji said before he put his hand over his mouth. He couldn’t help himself from blurting out his fears, he felt too messed up for that.

“Do I need to slap you again Ryuji?” Ann threatened, raising her hand as Ryuji cowered in fear. He hadn’t expected the first slap, but hearing Ann actively threaten to hit him triggered something inside of him.

“Please don’t hit me…I’ll be a good boy…I promise dad…” he muttered, before realizing what he had said.

* * *

Ryuji stood up quickly, he had to get out of here. He made a complete fool of himself and he was sure that Ann would dislike him for what he had blurted out.

“Ryuji, wait!” Ann yelled at him, but he didn’t listen as he made his way for the door.

“Oh no you don’t!” he heard before he could feel Ann throw herself against him, causing his bad leg to give out as both he and Ann tumbled over.

“You’re not running away from me, not this time. I’m your friend Ryuji, you can trust me!”

“I guess…but…”

“No, I’m serious! You’re staying and you’re talking to me!”

“But Ann…”

“What is it Ryuji?”

“You’re sitting on top of me, I can’t effin’ move and it hurts…”

Ann looked, blushing from embarrassment when she realized she had ended up on top of Ryuji when they fell over. She quickly muttered an apology before she got off of him, helping him up after she got up herself.

“You said you wanted to talk, right?” she asked him after they moved back to where they were seated before as Ryuji nodded to her.

“Then talk, what was this thing about calling me dad? I was joking about slapping you, but your reaction scared me…I didn’t meant to bring up bad memories,” she said, trailing off slightly, her voice laced with a slight hint of guilt.

“He hit me if he thought I was a bad kid…didn’t I tell you and Kira that before?” Ryuji said, looking down.

“Yeah but…is there more to that story?” she inquired, looking very concerned as she looked right into his eyes.

“I…I’ve never told anyone else…” Ryuji muttered, tears filling his eyes as a certain memory flooded back.

“What are you so afraid of Ryuji?” Ann pushed, although her voice sounded like she was hesitating.

“That it’s all my fault...again…” he whispered.

“What is your fault, Ryuji?”

“All the bad things that happened to Kira…to all of you guys…”

“How can that be your fault?”

Ryuji swallowed as he tried not to cry, he needed to tell someone after keeping this a secret for so long.

“My dad…after hitting me…would tell me that I was a bad kid. Bad things happen to bad kids and I know I’ve not been good…When I came home to mom being beaten up, he told me she had to be punished for defending my bad behavior…”

“Oh god, Ryuji,” Ann muttered before Ryuji held up his hand, he had to finish his story before he wasn't able to anymore.

“I just…I just feel like people suffer ‘cause I’m an effin’ screw-up. If I’m not a good boy, nothing good comes from being around me…Everyone at school thinks I’m a good-for-nothing delinquent and I sometimes feel like they’re effin’ right about that…”

Ann moved closer to hug him as Ryuji looked at her with tears in his eyes.

“Am I a bad boy Ann? Is that why everything’s going to shit?” he stammered before bursting into tears as Ann put her arms around him.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

“Your dad was wrong Ryuji. You’re not a bad person. You’re one of the kindest people I know and you’re my best friend. Don’t let him control your thoughts, he’s gone now. All of us love you Ryuji and so does your mom. We’re your family now, not your shitty dad,” Ann told him as he was shaking in her arms.

She felt really bad for Ryuji. She had known about his dad from when he told her and Akira, but she never knew it had been this bad. It filled her with anger. Her own parents were shitty, they more or less abandoned her, but they never abused her in the way Ryuji’s dad had abused him.

Ann was worried about Akira’s safety too, but she knew she had to reassure Ryuji that he was going to be back. He had to come back. Ryuji wouldn’t be able to hold on without him, not in the state he was in now. Looking at the broken Ryuji that she was holding in her arms almost made her tear up.

It felt like it was Shiho all over again, but this time she would give her everything to help fix her best friend. Ryuji, next to Shiho, was the closest friend she had and she loved him dearly. He would not suffer, she would never let her friends suffer again.

“Do…do you mean that Ann?” she could hear Ryuji’s muffled voice ask. The insecurity that filled it caused Ann to have to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Yes Ryuji, you’re a good guy and you got like the biggest heart out of every Phantom Thief,”

“Even bigger than Kira’s?”

“Yes Ryuji, even bigger than Akira’s. I wish you’d just see it yourself,” she told him.

“Can you…can you tell me why?” Ryuji muttered to her as he looked up at her in disbelief, tears staining his face.

“You’re incredibly selfless Ryuji, you pretend to be a bad boy but you always help everyone out. I know you always help the elderly cross the streets when you’re alone, how you do groceries for your mom whenever you can, how you help Haru carry her soil to the rooftop almost every day…” she said, pausing a moment so that Ryuji could take it all in.

“And you helped me too. I felt so alone, but when you found out about that, you made sure to spend a lot of your time with me. You never even thought about how that would cut into your own free time, you never do.”

“Isn’t that…normal?” Ryuji asked, an innocent look mixing with the tears that were still streaming down his face.

“No Ryuji, you’re the only one I know who’s always helping everyone out without wanting anything in return. Even more than Akira does.”

Ryuji seemed to relax after she told him that, he had stopped shaking as he broke away from their hug. When Ann looked at him, she could see he had regained a little bit of his normal self. He even a little pleased with himself, sheepishly blushing at the compliments she had given him.

“So…I’m a good boy?” he asked quietly, being more than a little embarrassed.

“Yes Ryuji, you’re a good boy,” Ann said, unable to keep herself from smiling at the way Ryuji worded it.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

With Ryuji seemingly having calmed down, they chatted for a bit before Ann decided to treat Ryuji to the noodles she bought for him. He insisted on making them himself though, he needed them to be perfect, causing Ann to laugh at him before telling him to go ahead.

After he finished making them, he put them in a bowl that Ann had prepared for him before realizing she had made an omelet with rice for herself.

“You sure you don’t want noodles?” he asked, before he put a huge amount of them in his mouth.

“Yeah, I told you I’m not a big fan,” she said with a smile.

“You picked out the…best ones though…” he muttered with his mouth full as he smiled at her.

“Ryuji, stop being a pig,” she told him with a disgusted look on her face before she started laughing at the way he started blushing while clumsily covering his mouth with his hands.

“Sorry, I just really like these effin’ noodles,” he said after finishing his next bite.

“Just don’t talk with your mouth full and we’ll be good,” Ann responded as Ryuji nodded at her.

“Let me come with you tonight Ryuji, I’ll go get my sleeping stuff and we can go to your place,” Ann offered after they finished their dinner.

“Why?” he asked, not sure why Ann would offer that. She had already spent the whole day with him.

“Because I don’t want you to be alone with your thoughts right now and I know your mom’s not home tonight,” she explained to him, before making it very clear he shouldn’t refuse. Not after what they talked about. She was probably right too, his mind tended to go dark nowadays when he was alone and at least having Ann around would keep him distracted.

“Fine, we need to figure something out about how to sleep though, my bed is not that big,” he responded.

“That’s fine, you’re gay and madly in love with Akira so it’d be pretty safe to sleep in the same bed,” she told him with a smile, causing him to laugh at her. He could correct her by saying that he was bi, but since she was right about him being madly into Akira he threw his hands up in defeat regardless.

* * *

The train ride to Ryuji’s apartment was a lot more fun than the one from before, Ryuji had calmed down enough to chat about random things with Ann, making jokes and remembering things from when they were friends at middle school.

“I forgot to ask Ryuji, but what’s with the blazer? It’s really not your style,” Ann asked him after they had gotten off the train.

“Akira left it behind, I just…wanted to carry him with me so I put it on,” he admitted, blushing as Ann squealed.

“That is the cutest thing!”

“Shut up…”

* * *

After they had gotten to Ryuji’s apartment they made sure there was enough space on the bed before taking turns in the bathroom. When they were done they settled on the bed together realizing it was a bit cramped before shrugging it off. Ryuji was glad that Ann was with him. He did not want to be alone right now, it would’ve probably turned out disastrous when his thoughts got the better of him.

“Do you think Akira will be alright?” he asked Ann before he felt overcome by drowsiness, realizing how taxing the day had been.

“I hope so Ryuji, I can’t promise he’ll be alright but he’ll be back,” she said before Ryuji drifted off to sleep, finding comfort in Ann’s words.

* * *

Ryuji absent-mindedly stared out of the classroom window the next day. He and Ann had separated after they arrived at school since they both had to go to their own classrooms.

They day had gone on for what felt like forever when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket, causing him to hide behind the book he had on his table to check his phone, almost dropping it in excitement when he read the string of messages from Makoto.

> **Makoto > **My sister got back to me. He’s alive. She’ll bring him over to Leblanc this afternoon.
> 
> **Makoto > **She has a lot of questions though, so I’m going to have to tell her everything now.
> 
> **Makoto > **Akira told her a lot, but I need to fill in the blanks for her.
> 
> **Makoto > **She’s on our side though, she made that clear.
> 
> **Makoto > **Don’t text me back, we’re in class.

When school ended Ryuji, along with everyone else, rushed over to Leblanc where Sojiro told them to wait in Akira’s room since he had to close up. Sojiro had recently found out about their antics as the Phantom Thieves and had been an avid supporter since, allowing them to use his café has his base whenever they needed to.

“I’m so glad Akira-kun’s alright,” Haru said after they settled in the attic.

“Indeed, it is a most joyous occasion to see him return to us this soon,” Yusuke added.

They chatted for a little until they saw a person they recognized as Makoto’s sister walk up the stairs, a solemn look on her face.

“Sis!” Makoto exclaimed as she walked over to her sister to give her a hug. It seemed a little out of character for Makoto, but it was understandable since she was probably really worried about her.

After they broke away Makoto’s sister introduced herself as Sae Niijima, insisting they call her Sae before she turned to Futaba.

“I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you past summer Futaba-chan,” she said apologetically. She looked as if she wanted to continue, but Futaba cut her off by telling her it was ancient history at this point.

“How’s Akira?” Ryuji asked, getting more impatient by the minute. He wanted to see Akira so bad.

“About that…” Sae said as Ryuji could feel the entire mood in the room drop from the tone of her voice.

“He may not be the same Akira-kun you’re used to, they’ve done things to him…” she explained, before telling them that it’ll become clear to them when they saw him and that they should wait for Akira downstairs.

* * *

Ryuji and his friends made their way back down, settling in the cafe while they waited for Sojiro, who had gone out to fetch Akira, to come back with him.

Everyone turned their eyes towards the door when they heard it open, signaling that he was finally back. Ryuji knew that Sae had warned them, but he was still taken aback by what he saw walk through the door.

Akira was hunched over, badly bruised as he slowly walked inside, avoiding eye contact with them as his friends as they rushed over to his side. Sojiro supported him along the way, his face filled with a look of concern that Ryuji had only ever seen Sojiro wear before Futaba had her change of heart.

Ryuji was the first to reach Akira, wrapping his arm around him to support him along with Sojiro as they carefully lead him to a free seat in one of the booths.

“What the hell did they do to you man?” he yelled angrily, causing Akira to wince at his voice.

“S-sorry if I was loud…” Ryuji muttered as Ann put her hand on his shoulder, a look of worry on her face as she looked from Akira to Ryuji. She looked like she was about to say something to Ryuji, before she got interrupted by Makoto.

“Akira...Will you please tell us what happened?” she asked, sitting across from him as she signaled everyone else to sit down as well.

It was the first time Akira looked up and Ryuji could feel his heart break when he saw Akira’s eyes. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, Sae quickly explaining they were broken during the interrogation, so he could see them clearly. Akira’s dark grey eyes were dull, the usual mischievous spark gone, as he looked afraid to make eye contact with any of them.

“I…” he started, before he looked down unable to mutter a single word as Ryuji, who had decided to sit down next to him, pulled him closer while the rest of them looked at him with guilt.

“They tortured him…I was too late to stop it, I’m really sorry,” Sae said, her voice sounding genuinely apologetic.

“They did…WHAT!?” Ryuji yelled as he slammed his fist on the table, scaring Akira more and causing him to move away from Ryuji to curl up inside the corner of his booth.

“Sis, what did they do to him?” Makoto asked, her eyes filling with tears.

“Akira…” Futaba muttered before she started crying, Yusuke moving over to put his arm around her. To Ryuji’s surprise Futaba didn’t push him away, moving closer to him instead.

Ann and Haru looked like they were barely holding it together, both girls having tears in their eyes.

As for Ryuji, Ryuji could feel himself fill with a seething rage, he wanted to hurt the people who did this to Akira. He hated them, he hated the adults who did this to him and he vowed to make all of them pay.

“Bullshit, this is bullshit!” he yelled as he stood up, angrily pacing around before he grabbed his coat.

To his surprise it was Sojiro who put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from walking out.

“You won’t achieve anything by rushing out carelessly kid. What are you going to do? Beat up the police? You’ll just end up in jail and you kids will be even more screwed. Besides, look at Akira, he needs you more than anyone else right now. Stay. Stay and take care of him.”

Ryuji was taken aback when he realized that the normally calm and stoic Sojiro was yelling at him, but it caused him another look at Akira before realizing that the other man was right. Akira was shaking, curled up by himself inside the booth, looking like he was about to break into a million pieces. That was when Ryuji knew. He would be the one who would fix Akira and bring a smile back to his face, no matter what it would take.

Ryuji carefully moved over to Akira, crouching down next to him while whispering a soft hello in his ear, causing Akira to turn to him, a tiny smile of recognition coloring his features.

“Want me to take you to your room, Kira?” he asked. Akira looked at him for a bit before he nodded, causing Ryuji to wrap his arm around him before he helped him up the stairs. The others wanted to follow them, but Sae and Sojiro told them it was better if they stayed down for now, Sojiro offering to cook them dinner while they waited.

* * *

After Ryuji helped Akira settle on the bed he was about to move back downstairs to discuss what happened to Akira before Akira weakly grabbed his arm.

“Will…will you stay tonight Ryu?” Akira whispered. His voice sounded strained, like it really hurt him to talk.

“Of course I will Kira! I’ll stay as long as you need me to!” Ryuji answered confidently as he braced himself for the rest of the night.

He asked himself if he could do this, before realizing that that was no longer a question. He had to do this, for Akira’s sake and for his own.

**End of Arc 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m still a bit on edge about how this chapter turned out, kinda feel like my characterization was a bit all over the place, but I tried to keep it as consistent as I could T_T It was super hard to write and I had to cross-reference with my old chapters a lot.
> 
> Regarding the actual plot, I was a tad disappointed by how “unaffected” Akira seemed after what happened in the casino so I’m going to explore that next chapter(s). I do get it’s a matter of story and gameplay segregation, it simply would make the game really unfun if Akira had been emotionally scarred by what happened during the interrogation, but I don’t have to keep the gameplay aspect in mind here.  
> Fair warning though, as this will spell trouble for Ryuji (well both of them really) since he’s going to dedicate his entire being to helping Akira, but at what cost? Ann’s warning will come into play soon and boy will she turn out to be right, not necessarily next chapter, but our boys have to go through a lot to earn their happy ending.  
> There's subtle hints for other things I ship here, I figured it'd make sense if other characters slowly grow closer/get into relationships in the background. I mean, it'd be weird if only Ryuji and Akira developed, right?
> 
> The bit between Ann and Ryuji in this chapter was expanded after I realized that Ann is going to play a super important part later and well, I also love writing her friendship with Ryuji. I’ve always felt like Atlus hinted at their friendship but never really fleshed out at all. Also, someone needs to help him realize he’s a good boy and tell him that, but Akira’s in too much of a messed up state himself to do that right now.
> 
> Last thing, I can tentatively announce that I’m aiming between 20-25 chapters for this fic, so there’s still a lot to come and I hope you guys will stick with me till the end ^.^ And as always if you liked the chapter, leave a comment/kudo and feel free to message me on tumblr if you wanna chat Akiryu or about other stuff: http://raindene.tumblr.com/
> 
> 15/10 Edit: Added Arcs, mostly for myself to make the story flow make sense to me. Anyways, now that we've introduced all key players and plot points the first arc has ended. Next Arc starting next chapter, so brace yourself :3


	10. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s going on here? Aren’t you guys happy he’s still alive?” Miss Kawakami asked, causing Ryuji to lose control of himself completely as he let out a loud grunt, followed by an intense flow of tears running down his face as he broke down on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed this already, but after uploading chapter 9 I sort of did a structural revamp. There’s a new summary for both this story and the series as a whole (the series also undergoing a title change to accommodate future fics) while I’ve also separated this fic in story arcs with arc number 2 beginning this chapter. Second arc will consist of 5 chapters, but more on that in the notes below.  
> Added two more tags as well, a drama and a suspense tag, since there’s going to be tons of cliffhangers going forward and well, you probably saw the drama tag coming at this point >.>
> 
> Anyways I hope you guys are ready to see what’s going to happen next, because this is where stuff gets really intense and not exactly in a good way >.<  
> Longest chapter yet, btw. This got huge for some reason.

**Arc 2 - Turmoil**

**Ryuji Sakamato**

After making sure he could leave Akira alone for a little bit, waiting until the other boy was sound asleep, he walked back downstairs to find everyone had been waiting for him. All of his friends, along with Sae and Sojiro, looked really worried and Ryuji wasn’t sure what to tell them when they asked him how Akira was doing.

“Just be honest Ryuji,” Ann told him after he nervously paced around for a while, desperate to come up with an answer that wouldn’t make them worry even more.

“He’s…not great, I have never seen him like this, y’know? It’s like the old Akira’s completely gone…” he said, finding it hard to find the words. The moment he heard himself utter said words he could feel a tear rolling down his cheeks. He hated seeing Akira like this

“I just…don’t know what I can do for him…” he muttered as he wiped his face with the sleeve of his school uniform.

None of his friends really knew what to say to him, leading to an awkward silence where everyone just stared towards the ground, sniffling as each of them tried their hardest to not give in to their grief.

“What’d they do to him, Sis? You were there, right?” Makoto asked breaking the silence, sadness lacing her voice as she looked at her sister, desperate for answers. It was clear Makoto hoped Sae could tell them something, anything, which could help them fix Akira.

Sae sighed as she leaned against the bar, looking unsure about how she was going to answer Makoto’s question.

“You should go ahead and tell them, they can handle it,” Sojiro told her from where he was seated. He had moved over to Yusuke and Futaba to try and help Yusuke comfort the young girl. Futaba was taking it worse than the rest of them, she hadn’t stopped crying since Akira had entered Leblanc and while Ryuji could relate to her he knew he had to stay strong. Everyone would probably break down the moment he showed that he was losing hope.

“Akira was detained by a special police force, a police force that doesn’t always…abide the law. They’re known to go to extreme lengths to get the information or confessions they desire and they’re not above using incredibly violent methods. I am not entirely sure what they did to him, but I was quickly able to surmise that they had injected him with several drugs before I could interrogate him. He had already been badly bruised when they handed him over to me, wearing his broken glasses for most of the interrogation. Now that I think about it, his clothing was wet as well when I met him…” Sae suddenly stopped her explanation, her face going white with a look of horror as she gasped.

“I am so sorry,” she said, causing everyone to look at her with a confused look on their face.

“I think I know what torture method they used…and it’s not pleasant,” she explained after seeing everyone look at her with surprise.

“What the eff did they do to Akira, then?” Ryuji yelled, unable to contain his anger.

“I’ve only heard rumors about it, but I know they use a violent questioning method where they beat up the perpetrators as they throw buckets of water at them to force them to talk. Based on the conviction your friend had during my interrogation, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t budge before…which means they might have gone even further…”

“That’s it, I’m going to beat the shit those shitbags! I don’t care what happens to me or if I have to go to jail, they have gone way too effin’ far!” Ryuji shouted angrily, shaking violently, as both Ann and Haru threw their arms around them.

“Please Ryuji-kun, please calm down,” a tearful Haru pleaded as she held onto him.

“You’re scaring me Ryuji…please stop…” Ann begged, tears streaming down her face as well.

“I just…I just feel freakin’ helpless, okay? Like I can’t do shit for him!” he cried out as he let himself drop to his knees, pulling Ann and Haru with him.

“We know Ryuji, we all feel the same too…” Ann whispered to him as he started crying, unable to hold back his emotions any longer.

*ding*

Everyone looked at the door in shock when they heard the café’s bell as it suddenly opened, revealing Miss Kawakami who looked beside herself with worry, standing in the doorway.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but we’re closed…” Sojiro stated before being interrupted by Ryuji.

“Teach…?” he muttered in confusion as Miss Kawakami rushed over to them, ignoring Sojiro as she threw her coat in one of the booths.

“Can someone please tell me what is going on here? What about Akira-kun? I saw the news report and couldn’t just stay put. He lives here, right? He’s still alive isn’t he?” she said, rambling, as the other Phantom Thieves turned to Ryuji looking very confused.

“She knows?” Makoto asked, unable to hide her confusion.

“Yes Niijima, I know about you being Phantom Thieves. Someone has to cover for you at school from time to time and after Akira-kun helped me out, I decided to return the favor,” Miss Kawakami snapped before quickly apologizing, explaining that she hates seeing her students like this and that it made her very emotional.

“Please just tell me if he’s alive,” she pleaded after no one responded, everyone just looking at her in shock as she remembered seeing the news report.

* * *

**Sadayo Kawakami**

_It had been a long day, like every day as of late, as Kawakami slowly walked to the teacher’s lounge for their weekly teacher’s meeting. She hated these meetings, they always felt like a huge waste of time considering they always ended up talking about non-work related things. Like Chouno’s weekend or other silly things._

_Today had been a weird enough already, she hadn’t see Akira-kun around at all and she hoped he was alright. They did have plans for a “heist” over the weekend, although she was not sure what he had meant when he told her._

_“Sadayo-san, I’m so glad you finally decided to grace us with your presence,” the vice-principal said as she entered the room._

_All of her colleagues were already there, looking at her with a bit of contempt. She knew that they were judging her for counseling “those two delinquents”, but they didn’t know Akira-kun and Ryuji-kun like she did. Kawakami thought it was noble that they tried to change the world as the Phantom Thieves. She didn’t exactly understand how it worked, but she knew it was dangerous enough for it to affect their personal lives. She thought about the other Phantom Thieves at Shujin as she sat down. Makoto Niijima, the student council president, surprised her the most. She had never expected her to join up with them, but she had always been a lonely girl hadn't she? Then there was Ann Takamaki who always worried her a little because of the situation with her parents, especially about what happened to Shiho Suzui, but apparently joining the Phantom Thieves had prevented her from spiraling and Kawakami was grateful for that. The last member she knew attended Shujin was Haru Okumura, such a precious girl. Kawakami was glad for all the support Haru’s new friends had given her after her father passed. She had heard from Akira-kun that it was an assassination inside the “Metaverse” they went to, but it must’ve been terrible for the girl regardless._

_“Sadayo-chan, are you listening to what we’re saying?” Ushimaru-san, the social studies teacher, asked her with a condescending smile on his face. God she hated him so much._

_“Sorry, I was elsewhere with my thoughts, could you please repeat what you were saying?” she asked politely as the older man rolled his eyes._

_“We were just saying how happy we were that that Phantom Thieves leader is no more,” the principal said, smiling maliciously._

_“Ex…Excuse me?” she asked, feeling light-headed all of a sudden._

_“Oh honey did you not see the news?” Chouno, the English teacher, asked her._

_“No?”_

_“Let me show you on my phone then,” Chouno replied, taking her phone out of her purse to show the other woman a news article that said:_

_“BREAKING NEWS! GUILT OR INSANITY: Phantom Thieves leader commits suicide in police custody!”_

_Kawakami didn’t even need to read the article as she stood up._

_“Sadayo-chan, where are you going?” Ushimaru-san asked her._

_“I…I have to go!” she muttered before rushing out of the teacher’s lounge after collecting her things. This couldn’t be real, she had to go to Leblanc and see it with her own eyes. She had to see whether Akira-kun and his friends were still alive and give them the support they needed if they were._

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

“He’s…alive…” Ryuji muttered, before he started sobbing again as the other Phantom Thieves started crying themselves. Sae tried her hardest to comfort Makoto, trying to hold herself together as she seemed consumed by guilt. Ann and Haru tried their hardest comforting each other, having let go of Ryuji, who was holding himself in his own arms, as they hugged each other. Futaba and Yusuke were still sitting together in a room, Yusuke’s arm wrapped around the young girl as he tried to hold himself together.

“What’s going on here? Aren’t you guys happy he’s still alive?” Miss Kawakami asked, causing Ryuji to lose control of himself completely as he let out a loud yell, followed by an intense flow of tears running down his face as he broke down on the floor.

Everyone else stopped crying that instant, looking at Ryuji with looks of confusion, but also understanding.

Ann and Haru quickly moved back to him, trying to comfort him as he rocked himself inside their arms.

“Perhaps I should fill you in,” Sojiro said, having gotten up from his seat next to Futaba, as he turned to Miss Kawakami, “these kids have been through a lot…and not all of them made it out unscarred.”

* * *

Ryuji had managed to calm down by the time Sojiro had explained everything to Kawakami, she insisted they call her by her first name when they’re not at school, as everyone sat down. Sojiro had asked Haru to help him prepare coffee, tea and hot chocolate for them, saying that there was nothing like a hot drink to calm them down while the rest of them waited.

“So Miss…I mean Sadayo-san, what are you doing here?” Makoto asked politely.

Kawakami smiled at her before explaining that she found out about Akira’s “suicide” during the weekly teacher’s meeting and that she rushed over immediately.

“Is there any way at all I can help? Perhaps I can offer you guys counseling sessions? I am a certified counselor and already talk to some of you,” she offered while looking knowingly at Ryuji.

“Actually, there’s something…” Sae said as if she realized something, before they suddenly heard a loud crash coming from the attic.

“What the eff was that?!” Ryuji yelled as he wanted to run upstairs immediately, followed by the rest of the Phantom Thieves as Sojiro and Haru hurried towards them from the kitchen.

“Stop. All of you stop!” Kawakami yelled at them as she stepped in front of them, causing everyone to turn turned towards her sending looks of confusion and annoyance her way.

She shrugged it off before explaining that based on what they told her, Akira could be in a very volatile state and that they should approach this carefully.

“I want two of you to accompany me upstairs, Ryuji is a given since they’re dating…” she said, before being interrupted by Ryuji giving her an annoyed look.

“Oh don’t think I didn’t see you kiss during our first session, that’s against school policy by the way, so don’t do that,” Kawakami said as she smiled softly towards Ryuji, it seemed like she definitely had developed a soft spot for him.

“Sorry teach…” he muttered, before looking down.

“As for the other person, who is his best friend out of you guys? Who does he talk to the most?” she asked the other Phantom Thieves, who looked at each other before they pushed a reluctant Makoto forward.

“I’m not sure if I’m the right person for this…” she muttered as she looked towards the ground.

“You’ll be fine Makoto, I believe in you,” Sae told her, causing Makoto to straighten up as she walked towards Kawakami and Ryuji with conviction.

“Are you two ready? This could get very intense…” Kawakami told them, before she headed up the stairs, Ryuji and Makoto following closely behind them as the rest stayed downstairs.

* * *

Ryuji took a deep breath as he entered the room. He insisted he’d be the first to enter, since Akira would likely be the most comfortable with him as Kawakami and Makoto moved closely behind him.

When he rested his eyes on the bed, he saw that Akira was no longer laying there…in fact, where had Akira gone?

“Kira? Kira where are you?’ he asked, getting no response as he frantically looked around the room before he spotted Akira curled up under a blanket in the corner of the room. It seemed like he was whispering to himself and when they moved closer to him Ryuji could make out the words “it’ll be alright”. It was like Akira was frantically chanting it to himself over and over again.

He put his hand on Akira’s shoulder when he reached him, causing the other boy to jump up in surprise. He had clearly not realized Ryuji and the others had entered the room as he looked around with a panicked look on his face.

“Ryuji…?” his voice sounded ragged, before Akira grabbed him by his collar as Makoto gasped.

“Where’d you go? You promised you’d stay…” he said, sounding sad as he let go of Ryuji.

“Oh…you brought others…” he whispered when he noticed Makoto and Kawakami standing behind Ryuji, before he curled back up inside his blanket.

“I’m sorry Akira, I’m sorry for thinking up this plan, it’s all my fault this happened to you…” Makoto blurted out before covering her hands with her mouth. She looked embarrassed and upset, causing Ryuji to really feel for the girl.

Akira looked at her and shrugged, before he looked back down at this feet, causing Makoto to start crying.

“Look at what you did man, you made Makoto cry!” Ryuji yelled at him, causing Akira to wince before he profusely apologized causing both Makoto and Ryuji to look at him in horror.

This wasn’t like their leader, he was never this fickle.

“What’s happening teach…?” Ryuji muttered as he turned to Kawakami who seemed deep in thought before she turned to him and Makoto.

“I think he’s in a state of shock, his brain still seems to be processing what happened to him, causing him to behave very erratically right now. The only thing we can do for him is being as gentle as we can with him and wait until he reverts to his normal self. He should not be alone though, someone has to be with him when he comes out of this state. It won’t be pretty and Akira will likely lash out or get upset, but someone has to be there,” she explained to them. Ryuji was surprised by how sad and affected she sounded. Even people outside of their group seemed affected by Akira’s current state.

“I…I’ll do it!” Ryuji said, trying to sound confident even though he was shaking with fear.

“I’m his boyfriend, I love him and I hope to spent the rest of my life with him…I have to be the one that does this,” he explained causing both Kawakami and Makoto to smile at him.

“You…love me?” he could hear Akira’s voice ask as Ryuji saw him trying to reach out to him. Ryuji quickly rushed over to him, before he grabbed Akira’s outstretched hand.

“More than anything, Kira. I’ll stay with you for as long as you need,” Ryuji said, trying to reassure the other boy as he pulled him close for a hug. He could feel Akira shiver at first, but he quickly relaxed as Ryuji’s touch seemed to comfort him greatly.

“I’ll take care off the school side of things Ryuji-kun, stay with Akira-kun tomorrow. I expect you back in school on Wednesday though. Don’t make me regret this,” Kawakami told him, her caring voice betraying the serious look on her face as Ryuji nodded at her.

“Niijima, do you want to stay with them for a bit? There’s a reason you suddenly perked up when I asked you to come with us, isn’t there?” Kawakami then asked, turning to Makoto who turned bright red.

“Yes ma’am,” she muttered before looking towards the ground.

“Teach?” Ryuji asked before Kawakami could leave.

“Yes, Ryuji-kun?”

“Could you ask Ann to get my things from my place? She knows where the spare key is and she knows what I like…” he asked, feeling slightly embarrassed asking his teacher a favor like that but he knew it had to be done.

“Sure, is there anything else you need? I’ll stick around here for a while…”

“No, I think that’s it. Thank you!” Ryuji said with a smile, before he turned back to Akira.

“Let’s get you back to the bed, shall we?” he asked, causing Akira to cautiously nod at him. At least he was responding to Ryuji again, which was a start at least.

After making sure Akira was seated on his bed again, Ryuji sat next to him while Makoto pulled out a chair and moved it close to them.

“You can come sit with us on the bed if you want, y’know?” Ryuji offered, gesturing for Makoto to sit on the other side of Akira as she shook her head.

“I’m fine like this, don’t worry,” she replied, sounding uncomfortable.

“How are you feeling Kira?” Ryuji asked as he turned to Akira. He had been completely silent since they moved to the bed.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira wanted nothing more than answer Ryuji, tell him what happened to him, what those policemen had done to him, but for some reason he couldn’t get the words out. It was like his tongue had been paralyzed and all he could do is think about what had happened.

“Not…good…” he managed to mutter. He could hear how raspy his own voice sounded and he disliked it. They had really done a number on him and he hated being in this state.

“We’ll make you feel better, Kira! Won’t we Makoto?” Ryuji said as he smiled at him, with Makoto quickly reaffirming Ryuji’s statement.

He was glad that Makoto was there as well, she was probably Akira’s best friend. They had just…connected somehow, sharing similar interests and always finding things to talk about.

Akira could feel his body shaking as another memory flooded back, clinging to Ryuji’s arm for support.

“What’s wrong bro?” Ryuji asked, clearly worried, but Akira couldn’t answer him as he could feel himself get lost in another memory.

* * *

" _You won’t get out of here in one piece, you bastard!” one of the guards yelled at him as he threw another bucket of water at Akira before punching him once more._

_Akira felt hurt, his entire body aching from the beatings he had received as he saw the other guard bring in new buckets of water._

_“Let’s try another method to get this bastard to talk,” he said, grinning maliciously as he put the bucket in front of Akira before pushing his face in._

_Akira could feel intense pain inside his chest as he felt the ice cold water enter his lungs, coughing violently when the guard pulled him back up._

_“Ready to talk now, punk?” the guard asked, spitting in Akira’s face._

_“Never,” Akira grunted back, receiving another punch, this one breaking his glasses as a result._

_“You’ll give in eventually, we can keep going all night if we have to,” the guard said, grinning maliciously as he got another bucket ready._

_Akira braced himself as he thought of his friends. He would suffer through this for them, he thought, as he saw Ryuji’s smiling face in his thoughts for a moment. They would come for him, he was sure they would._

* * *

“I remember…” he muttered, causing Ryuji and Makoto to turn towards him immediately.

“I did…it all for you guys…” Akira said, before he could feel his eyes get heavy.

“Need sleep now…” was the last thing he was able to say before he laid back, his mind going blank.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji and Makoto just stared at Akira, who went out like a light, before they looked at each other.

“I guess that could’ve gone worse…” Ryuji muttered, surprised at what just happened. He certainly hadn’t expected Akira to randomly fell asleep.

“He must’ve gone through a lot…Poor Akira,” Makoto whispered, her voice filled with worry and…a hint of guilt?

“So what’s your deal? You’re acting strange Makoto,” Ryuji asked, causing Makoto to look away from him.

“It was my plan, I feel responsible for what happened to him…” she responded, trying to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

Ryuji punched her arm in response, causing her to look at him in surprise.

“You know no one blames you for that, right? You’re our freakin’ strategist, I wish I could come up with the stuff you come up with! I’m sure Kira will tell you the same thing,” he told her, smiling.

“You think so?” she asked, seemingly unsure about whether to believe him or not.

“I know so!” Ryuji responded, before giving her a thumbs-up which made her smile at him.

They chatted for a little, before Ryuji realized how hungry he was as he heard his stomach growl.

“Do you mind watching him for me? I want to check up on the others and get something to eat…” he asked Makoto. She nodded, telling him to take as long as he needed. When he asked if she needed anything she said she was fine, saying that she didn’t feel hungry at all.

Ryuji got up from the bed, taking one more look at Akira who seemed to be in a peaceful slumber for now, before Ryuji sighed and went back downstairs. He found himself sigh a lot ever since the heist ended, everything just sucked and it was slowly taking its toll on him.

* * *

It was definitely less crowded than before, Futaba and Yusuke had gone to the Sakura residence after she had tired herself out while Ann had gone out to fetch Ryuji’s things. He looked towards the kitchen area and saw that Kawakami and Sojiro were preparing what looked like a big pot of curry together. It surprised him, but he dismissed it before he moved over to Haru and Sae who were chatting together in one of the booths.

“How’s it hangin’?” Ryuji asked, trying to sound casual as he sat next to Haru.

“Where’s Makoto?” Sae asked, ignoring Ryuji’s question, clearly worried about her sister.

“She’s upstairs, she stayed with Akira while I came down looking for food,” he answered.

“Speaking of food, it smells divine doesn’t it?” Haru said dreamily. Her reaction didn’t surprise Ryuji, she had been in love with Sojiro’s cooking ever since she first had it.

“Almost done!” they could hear Kawakami shout from the kitchen as they moved over to the bar when they heard the bell above Leblanc’s door ring, signaling that Ann had returned.

She immediately walked over to Ryuji to hand him the duffel bag she packed for him, giving him a wink when she gave it to him.

“You should have told me your mom was home Ryuji, I had to think of an excuse for why you’re staying over at Akira’s place. I told her that he fell down the stairs and that you’re taking care of him. You should’ve seen how proud she looked when I told her, muttering something about how her lil’ Ryuji was all grown up now,” she rambled, causing Ryuji to blush a little before Ann continued talking.

“I packed all your best things, including your sexy nightwear to cheer Akira up,” she teased, wearing a proud smile as the tiny blush on Ryuji’s face turned into a huge one.

“Our teacher’s here Ann!” Ryuji exclaimed as he hid his face inside his hands.

“Oh it’s not like she doesn’t know you’re fooling around,” Ann shrugged, before taking a seat next to Ryuji.

Sae raised an eyebrow at them before asking Sojiro if she could get a bowl for Makoto as well as one for herself, explaining that she would take it upstairs to make sure Makoto would eat properly.

She moved upstairs after that, leaving Ryuji in the café together with Ann, Haru, Sojiro and Kawakami.

“Oh my, look at the time. I really have to get going! It’s going to be fine, Ryuji-kun and don’t worry about school tomorrow. Keep me updated too, Akira has my phone number,” Kawakami said after looking at her watch, moving out of the kitchen to grab her coat and leave.

“I’ll escort you to the station, this is not the time for a lady like yourself to be alone,” Sojiro told her as he quickly cleaned up the kitchen putting some of the curry in a takeaway bag that he handed to Kawakami.

“Oh no, that’s not necessary,” Kawakami muttered, taken aback by Sojiro’s kindness.

“I insist, let me grab my coat,” Sojiro responded, before he turned to Ryuji and his friends.

“You kids behave while I’m gone, alright? I left the stove on so that Akira can have a warm bowl of curry when he wakes up. I’ll go check on Futaba after I take Sadayo to the train station, but do you need me to come back later?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it boss! We got it from here!” Ryuji responded, giving Sojiro a thumbs-up.

“Just contact Futaba if you need me for anything, alright?” Sojiro told Ryuji before he turned towards the door, leaving along with Kawakami.

“Just the 3 of us now, huh?” Ryuji said as he took a bite of his curry, as Haru and Ann looked at him with looks of concern on their faces.

“What?” Ryuji asked after they wouldn’t stop staring.

“Do I have curry on my face again or something?”

“Are you alright Ryuji-kun?” Haru asked, the concern in her voice being obvious.

“You don’t need to pretend for us, y’know? It’s just us now,” Ann added as she looked Ryuji in the eye, as if she dared him to lie about how he felt.

Ryuji sighed, it seemed like these two girls knew him too well at this point…To be fair he did completely break down earlier, so it might also be that.

“Can I finish my curry first?” he asked the girls.

“Well obviously,” Ann responded.

“It’s divine, we cannot let it go to waste!” Haru added as all 3 of them started to vigorously eat their curry.

When they were done, they cleaned the plates before they sat down in one of the booths.

“So Ryuji-kun, how are you really feeling?” Haru asked him with a serious look on her face.

“Like shit, I dunno what do for Akira…He was like, really effin’ out of it,” Ryuji muttered, looking incredibly sad.

“What do you mean?” Ann asked him, trying her hardest to understand what Ryuji meant.

“It’s like he’s broken, like those bastards actually broke him. Kawakami said he was in shock or something, but it was like he didn’t even know who we were anymore, not really…” Ryuji explained as he willed himself not to cry. He did not want to cry again, but his memories hurt him a lot.

“I see…He will go back to normal though, right? We just have to give him time…” Haru told him to try and soothe Ryuji.

“I promised everyone I’d freakin’ take care of him, that I’d stay with him, but I dunno if I can do it…What if I’m not effin’ good enough for him?” Ryuji asked as it became increasingly harder to hold back his tears.

“If anyone can bring back Akira, it’s you Ryuji. He loves you and you love him with all your heart. I’d like to believe that is enough,” Ann told him as she wrapped her arm around him.

“I agree Ryuji-kun. What you and Akira-kun have is a wonderful kind of love and I’m sure that you can help him heal,” Haru added, before she scooted over to give Ryuji a hug as well.

“I’m just…so freakin’ scared, y’know? They could’ve really hurt him…” Ryuji stammered, unable to hold back his tears as he started crying.

“It’ll be okay, Ryuji. We’ll get through this,” Ann told him as she smiled at him reassuringly.

“I just know Akira-kun will be fine,” Haru added.

“But…what the eff can I do?” Ryuji whispered. He had no idea what to and knew that Ann and Haru didn’t really know either from the way they were looking at him.

“All you can do is be there for him, that’s all you should do too,” they could hear a voice say behind them causing them to turn around, seeing that Sae had come back downstairs.

“He’s awake again and doing a lot better than before,” she said with a smile on her face before taking the curry bowls she had carried downstairs with her to the kitchen.

“Could you do me a favor Ryuji?” she asked after she came back.

“I guess?” he responded, unsure what she would ask of him.

“Can you wait a couple of minutes before you go up there? I understand that you want to be with Akira, but Makoto really needs this and I was hoping you could give her that,” Sae told him, causing Ryuji to smile at her.

“He’s mine all night so I’ll wait,” he told her, causing a look of relief to wash over Sae’s face.

“Thank you. Let’s prepare some of the leftover curry for Akira while we wait then,” she said as she motioned towards him, causing him to hurry off towards the kitchen.

* * *

**Makoto Niijima**

“How are you feeling Akira?” Makoto asked after Sae went downstairs. She was grateful that her sister had come up with food, forcing her to eat even though she hadn’t felt hungry. Sae had kept her company, comforting her, until Akira woke up. When he did, her sister had only quickly exchanged pleasantries with him before she excused herself, leaving Makoto alone with Akira.

“Better than before. Seems I can speak properly again at least,” he responded as he tried his hardest to smile at Makoto.

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Makoto said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes, “I was so afraid you wouldn’t be able to again…”

Akira looked at her with a look of confusion on his face after he scanned the room, causing Makoto to dread he had already reverted to his shocked state before he turned to her.

“Where’s Ryuji?” he asked, his voice filled with worry.

“He’s downstairs, I can go get him if you want…” Makoto responded, trying to hide the sadness in her voice. Akira probably blamed her, so it made sense that he didn’t want to spend any time alone with her even though she just wanted some time with her best friend. Makoto had been pretty lonely before she met Akira and the others, most students avoiding her because she was Student Council President and she didn't want things to go back to that.

“No that’s fine, I was just wondering where he was,” Akira responded as if he could sense Makoto’s thoughts.

“Oh…okay,” Makoto muttered, unable to hide the surprise in her voice as Akira laughed.

“So what’s on your mind Makoto?” he asked, making it clear that he didn’t want to talk about what happened to him yet.

“I’m sorry, Akira. It’s all my fault…” Makoto rambled before Akira held up his hand, gesturing her to stop.

“You know that’s not true. We all agreed to execute this plan and I survived, didn’t I?” he said, smiling.

“But…look at you, look at what happened to you!” she yelled after taking another look at Akira. She couldn’t believe he acted so casual about what happened. Akira was covered in bruises and she could still see the spot on his arm where they had injected him with…whatever they had injected him with. His glasses were broken, currently resting on his nightstand, causing Makoto to momentarily wonder if he would actually wear them again before Akira’s voice forced her out of her thoughts.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about it Makoto,” Akira said, aggravating her even further.

“No, no you’re not fine! Stop pretending you’re okay for my sake!” she yelled as she stood up. She hesitated for a moment before she walked towards Akira and gave him a hug, causing the other boy to tense up. It was clear that he hadn’t been expecting that.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira didn’t want to burden Makoto with how he really felt, he had realized she was blaming herself for what happened to him and he did not feel like adding to that. He was caught off-guard when she hugged him though. Makoto wasn’t a huggy person at all and for her to have a sudden rush of emotion like that caused Akira to realize that he may have screwed up.

“So, I’m not fine…” he muttered, causing Makoto to send him a look that screamed finally.

“I’m just not ready to talk about it yet Makoto, I need time to process everything that happened. I know you’re trying to help, but it’ll help more if we act like normal for the time being,” he explained to him as she looked at him with an understanding look.

“I understand, just text or call me when you need anything, alright?” she told him with a stern look on her face, before she started smiling.

“I’m really glad you’re out of your shocked state, Akira. We were all super worried about you.”

Akira winced at the thought of him worrying his friends, before he got distracted by his stomach rumbling. He blushed as Makoto laughed at him.

“Want me to get you some food?” she asked him, before he shook his head.

“I’ll go get it myself, I gotta somehow move around the house when everyone’s gone…” Akira reasoned before he carefully got up. Walking still hurt, but it was less bad than before as he carefully moved downstairs, holding the staircase tightly as he moved towards the lower floor, Makoto following closely behind him in case he would fall over.

When Akira entered the café area, he was surprised by what he saw. Ann and Haru were both hanging over the counter as he saw Ryuji and Sae preparing what looked like leftover curry in the kitchen.

“Are you supposed to be out of bed?” Ann asked him, before smiling at him.

“Akira-kun! You’re alive!” Haru exclaimed as Akira saw Ryuji drop the spoon he was holding. Seeing Ryuji being clumsly like that made Akira laugh, he was so adorable.

Ryuji rushed over to him, leaving Sae to quickly adjust so she could finish whatever it was they were cooking on her own, his face flushed and filled with a thousand questions.

Akira just wanted to kiss him, kiss the worry of his face, but he knew that would probably be highly inappropriate in front of their friends. They never really kissed in front of them before. Ryuji didn’t give him a choice though as he grabbed his face before pulling him in for a kiss.

It wasn’t a long kiss by any rate, they pulled away quickly after Ann started cheering them on.

“S-Sorry, I was really freakin’ impulsive there,” Ryuji muttered, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head.

When Akira looked around he saw that his friends had all reacted in different ways. Makoto had covered her face with her hands in embarrassment while Ann had started cheering them on excitedly.

“GO RYUJI!” she yelled as she gave them both a thumbs-up.

“Forbidden love…” he could hear Haru, who had turned bright red, mutter to herself as she quickly covered her mouth after realizing she said that out loud.

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

Sae rolled her eyes at them before she gestured for Akira to come over to the bar, handing him a bowl of leftover curry when he did.

“Eat up, you must be famished,” she said as she smiled at him before turning towards Makoto.

“You ready to go? It’s still quite a long way home and I really want to return to our apartment for the first time in days,” she asked her younger sister, referring to the fact that she had barely been home over the past few months.

Before what she called her own change of heart, even though her treasure hadn’t been stolen, she had been obsessed with proving the Phantom Thieves were guilty. Looking back, she couldn’t believe how far she had been willing to go and she was definitely glad that she hadn’t. Deep down she wished she could do more for these kids, especially after hearing the entire story from Akira and once more from Makoto. They risked their lives on a daily basis while she and the other adults just idly sat by, unable to do anything but watch.

“Sure, we can go home Sis,” Makoto said before turning to her friends asking them if they would be alright without her. Ryuji and the others told her they would be fine before Makoto grabbed her things and walked over to Sae.

“I’m ready,” she said with a smile, warming Sae’s heart. She missed her little sister dearly and couldn’t believe she jeopardized their relationship for her career.

They left Leblanc after saying goodbye to the others, making their way to Sae’s car since she had driven Akira straight to Leblanc after she had finished interrogating him.

“I’m sorry Makoto, I’m sorry for everything I put you through over the past year, I hope you can forgive me,” she told Makoto after they had gotten in the car.

To her surprise Makoto smiled at her.

“It’s okay Sis, I’m just glad you’re back now...” she responded as Sae started the car, vowing to assist the Phantom Thieves in any way she could. She thought she could feel a spark inside of her, like some other version of herself calling out to her, but she dismissed it as her imagination playing tricks on her. All those stories about those kids awakening their Personas must’ve gotten to her. There was no way someone like her could have a Persona, could she?

“Let’s go home Makoto,” she said to her sister, after dismissing the thought, who smiled at her.

“Let’s go Sis!”

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ann and Haru stayed for a while before the two of them left as well stating that, unlike Ryuji and Akira, they had to attend school the next day leaving Ryuji alone with Akira. Haru had offered to take Morgana with her so that Ryuji and Akira could be alone and the cat agreed after Haru promised to buy him all the sushi he wanted.

They went up to the attic after cleaning up the café, Ryuji opening his bag to see what kind of clothes Ann had brought for him.

He quickly found out that Ann hadn’t been joking around, finding the clothes they had bought together bundled along with a note saying “Good luck”.

He sighed before stripping off his school uniform, changing into the tight white tank and blue shorts. He shivered from the cold, deciding that these clothes were definitely not made for winter as he made his way over to Akira’s bed. Akira looked at him with an amused look on his face. He was wearing clothes that looked a lot more comfortable, having changed into a pair of red track pants and a grey shirt with long sleeves.

“You look like you’re freezing,” Akira pointed out, a tiny smile on his face as Ryuji stuck his tongue out at the other boy.

“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?” Ryuji asked, unsure if Akira wanted to sleep together after everything that had happened and he had settled on sleeping on the couch if he had to.

“Yeah of course, why wouldn’t you?” Akira asked before he gestured for Ryuji to get under the covers with him.

“Not cold anymore?” Akira asked him, still smiling, after they settled under the covers.

The smile was starting to unsettle Ryuji now since it was becoming obvious to him that Akira was going to avoid talking about what happened.

“I’m not, but how are you doing man? Honestly?” he asked, trying his hardest to send a stern look Akira’s way.

“Well, you’ve seen me haven’t you?” Akira said, a little bit too casually for Ryuji’s taste, as he lifted his shirt up to show Ryuji the bruises on his chest.

Ryuji winced when he saw the amount of purple marks on the other boy, feeling a ton of rage inside his chest which he forced away. He could not get angry now.

“Damn it! The hell they do to you man?” Ryuji asked, trying his hardest to stay calm.

“They questioned me, it was normal questioning at first, but when they found out I wasn’t going to give up your identities they got violent, very violent. It was just a couple of punches at first, before they threw water at me…they even tried some sort of…drowning tactic…Ryu…” Akira explained, getting more emotional as his explanation went on as Ryuji could see the other boy try to blink his tears away.

“It’s okay to cry, Kira. You went through a lot. It’s over now though, and I’m here now. I’ll never leave you side unless you tell me to,” Ryuji whispered as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

“I love you,” Akira whispered through his tears, before he yawned. Ryuji realized that Akira must still be tired, but before he could tell the other boy to go back to sleep Akira was already sleeping soundly inside his arms.

Ryuji sighed, figuring he would get more out of Akira later, before he tried to fall asleep himself. This wasn’t too bad, he figured. He had expected things to be much harder.

* * *

It was really dark when Ryuji woke up, hearing ragged breathing close to his ear as he could feel Akira shake in his arms.

“Kira…Kira?!” Ryuji shouted as the other boy had his eyes shut, seemingly stuck in a violent nightmare.

Akira opened his eyes, violently pushing Ryuji’s arm away as he looked at him with an intense fear in his eyes. Akira jumped out of the bed, looking around like a scared little kitten as Ryuji slowly moved closer to him.

“Kira? Kira do you know where you are?” he asked, but Akira didn’t respond to him.

When Ryuji was close enough to wrap his arm around Akira, he tried to hug him, before Akira pushed him violently to the ground. Ryuji hadn’t expected that, causing him to fall on the ground, hitting his head on the floor.

It really hurt as Ryuji saw stars flash in front of his eyes for a moment before it dawned to him that Akira had done this to him. Another person who he loved him hurting him with violence. He knew Akira wasn’t himself right now, but it still hurt as Ryuji forced his tears back.

“Ryuji…? Oh my god what have I done…” he could hear Akira mutter as he saw the other boy drop to the ground in tears. Ryuji crawled over to his side, wrapping his arms around him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine Kira…Don’t worry about me…” he whispered to the other boy as he pulled him close. He was lying, he felt like crying, but he had to be strong for Akira.

“I’m…so…sorry…” Akira muttered in-between his sobs as Ryuji lifted him up, causing a surprised Akira to stop crying.

“You can carry me?” he stammered, causing Ryuji to smile at him.

“All that damn time in the gym isn’t for nothing, y’know?” he responded cockily before he put Akira back on the bed, laying down next to him afterwards.

“Can you hold me…?” Akira asked, but Ryuji would’ve done so even if he hadn’t asked. He wanted to let Akira know he was going to be there no matter what as he wrapped his arms closely around the other boy.

“I…I dreamt of the torture…” Akira whispered after Ryuji had pulled him close, causing Ryuji to grit his teeth.

“I’m sorry, man…” Ryuji said, unsure how to respond. He didn’t really know how to comfort Akira, other than being there for him.

“When you approached me…I thought you were one of them…Oh my god Ryuji, I’m so sorry…” he muttered before he started crying again.

Ryuji pressed Akira even closer, telling him it would all be alright while Akira just cried.

“It was horrible…Ryu…At one point I wished they would just end it altogether, it hurt so much…”

Ryuji could feel the tears roll over his own cheeks at that point, Akira had gone through all of that for him and his friends, but to hear him say those words. To hear him say he wished to die, even if it was for just a moment…It hurt, it hurt Ryuji more than anything anyone had ever said to him before.

At that moment Ryuji understood why Ann had slapped him when he told her the same thing, because what he felt could only be described as one thing. A great deal of emotional turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long note coming up again xD  
> So yeah, I cut my story into separate story arcs now since it’s going to be bigger than I originally planned. It was supposed to be about 15 chapters, but we’re just at the end of arc 1 now and even though that will be longest arc with 9 chapters, there’s still 3-4 arcs to go xD Got a whiteboard dedicated to this stuff (and the fics that will follow) in my room atm >_> I'm fully dedicated to this now.
> 
> As for the "new" characters, I wrote Kawakami as a bit of a worried mom, in a sense? She seemed like a pretty emotional woman to me and I feel like actively involving her in the Phantom Thieves plot would take its toll on her. She was one of the first people who texted Akira in the game iirc, but seeing as Akira is in no shape to text her back it made sense for me to have her come over. Hope you liked her little flashback :3  
> I’m torn to name her Kawakami or Sadayo during the story now, settled on the former for now but I may change that later.
> 
> As for Sae, I love her and I hope you guys like how I write her. She’ll have an important role at some point, but I can’t reveal that without spoiling what I got planned for the future :3 There's a small hint though :P
> 
> As for the 2nd arc that we’ve just entered, it’ll be pretty heavy stuff as it will explore both Ryuji and Akira’s current mental state. Without saying too much, I’m going to reveal the songs that inspired the chapter titles for this arc. I wonder if you can piece together what’s going to happen by listening to them and if you do, let me know in the comments! :3  
> Chapter 10 (this one) - Broken by Seether ft. Amy Lee  
> Chapter 11 - Secret by Chelsea Lankes  
> Chapter 12 - Please Don’t Leave Me by P!nk  
> Chapter 13 - All Out Of Love by Air Supply  
> Chapter 14 - Listen To Your Heart by Roxette
> 
> Also for the Futaba + Yusuke fans, they both have good stuff coming up. Just not in this arc since it’s already swamped as it is T_T Arc 3 will give them both time to shine though! Shido’s Palace will still happen during this arc as well, you’ll see how I work it in next chapter. It’ll be mostly off-screen again, like the casino, but it’ll run along with this arc, ending right after this arc ends.
> 
> Worked in a lot of different PoVs this time as well, and three new ones at that xD There’s Ryuji, Akira, Kawakami, Makoto and Sae all getting to tell their side of things.  
> It was different to write, but I think it worked out pretty well. Wonder what you guys think about that?
> 
> Anyways, that was it for now. I know I left it on an enormous cliffhanger, but it felt appropriate to end it there and I love my cliffhangers >.<  
> Leave a comment/kudo, if you want! I always love reading what you guys think ^_^ Or message me on tumblr: http://raindene.tumblr.com/


	11. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji and Akira had gone back upstairs to play video games while they waited for the others to arrive, causing the afternoon to go by really fast. The atmosphere surrounding them was relaxed, almost normal, as they casually chatted like nothing had happened. Ryuji had to bite his tongue a couple of times, he was really worried about Akira, but he felt like he shouldn’t press the other boy for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting up Shido as a target here was harder than I thought, trying to do it in a similar way to the game, but there are differences due to the story progressing kinda differently and it was hard to make it work, so please bear with me if it feels a tad forced >.> Honestly this entire chapter felt a bit eh, but maybe I just worry too much xD
> 
> Other than that, this is kind of a bridge chapter. We’ll see how Akira and Ryuji are doing and we get a little insight in how they’ll cope with what happened, but it will be pretty light compared to what’s coming up and a different pair of characters get a bit of spotlight here.  
> Gonna also introduce a new character here. Technically he’s not an OC since the character’s actually based on one of my favorite anime/game characters, but he’s been completely reworked to fit into the Persona universe, so yeah, enjoy guys :)

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

When Ryuji woke up he still had his arms wrapped around Akira, the other boy being sound asleep in his arms.

“I may have to slightly adjust my opinion of you Ryuji,” he could hear a voice whisper close to his ear, seeing a cat’s face right next to him when he turned around.

He yelped in shock, he hadn’t expected Morgana to be around already. Didn't Haru take him with her last night?

“Jeez Morgana, don’t do that!” he whispered hoping that he hadn’t woken Akira up, but based on the soft snoring next to him he figured that Akira was still asleep.

“You took care of him all night?” the cat asked him, eyeing the both of them suspiciously.

Ryuji nodded, unsure about what to say to Morgana. He knew he and the cat didn’t exactly get along and he wasn’t willing to with him, not while Akira was in the state he was in.

“Look, I may have been a tad harsh on you…” Morgana said quietly, looking away. If cats could look flustered, Morgana was definitely looking like that.

“What makes you say that?” Ryuji asked, surprised by Morgana suddenly being nice to him. Normally the cat loved to tell him how much of a jackass he was.

“You took care of that guy when no one else could. I honestly didn’t know what to do with him after he came back, but you did and I respect that. Don’t think too much of it, you idiot,” Morgana explained, quickly trying to downplay his previous apology.

“I’m sorry too, for all the stuff I said ‘bout you being a useless cat. If you’re useless, I’m also useless since I mainly just fight but the others always tell me I’m not, so I guess you’re not either,” Ryuji muttered, trying to make his apology sound cool.

Morgana rolled his eyes at him before he smiled? If cats could smile anyway, Ryuji wondered about whether they could for a moment before Morgana snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Let’s call it a truce then? We’re both around Akira a lot and it would be better for him if we get along,” he offered, causing Ryuji to hold out his hand.

“You’re supposed to give me your paw, cat” he explained after Morgana looked at him with confusion.

Morgana rolled his eyes again before putting his paw in Ryuji’s hand, causing Ryuji to grab and shake it with a smile.

“Guess you two finally made peace?” he could hear a muffled voice next to him say, causing Ryuji to realize that Akira was awake.

“Never,” Morgana said before he hopped on top of Akira’s head to give him what looked like an improvised hug causing Ryuji to laugh as Akira petted the cat.

* * *

 Ryuji and Akira decided to get up after Morgana told them he was going to Futaba’s place because they were “working on something”.

“Are you feeling any better Kira?” Ryuji asked him, unable to hide the concern in his voice as he saw the other boy struggling to get out of the bed.

“My body hurts like crazy, but I guess I’m better than yesterday,” he responded after he managed to stand up.

After Ryuji finished putting on his own clothes, he saw that Akira was struggling to put on his. He winced when he saw the state Akira’s body was in, covered in bruises before he moved over to him.

“Need some help, bro?” he offered causing Akira to blush before he nodded. Ryuji quickly helped him put on his shirt and pants, handing him a sweater before they went downstairs.

“I was wondering when you two would come down,” Sojiro said, greeting them with pancakes as they entered the café.

“How are you feeling Akira?” he asked after Akira sat down at the bar to eat his breakfast, causing Akira to tell Sojiro how he felt better than the day before as Ryuji felt his phone buzz.

> **Haru > **How did everything go Ryuji-kun?
> 
> **Ann > **Yeah is Akira alright? Are you alright?
> 
> **Ryuji > **he’s doing better, we’re eating breakfast right now!
> 
> **Haru > **I’m so glad to hear that!
> 
> **Makoto > **I second that. Do you think we’re able to come over this afternoon?
> 
> **Ryuji > **yeah sure, im sure Akira would love that!
> 
> **Akira > **I would indeed.
> 
> **Futaba > **ur up! im so glad you got your lives back!
> 
> **Akira >** I’m glad I’m okay too Futaba :)
> 
> **Yusuke > **That is wonderful news indeed! I look forward to speaking to you during the afternoon.
> 
> **Makoto > **Do you mind if I invite my sister too? She’s been looking into things at work for us today.
> 
> **Akira > **Sure, you can also add her to this chat if you want.
> 
> **\- Makoto added Sae Niijima -**
> 
> **Sae > **The elusive Phantom Thief group chat, huh? What an honor to be invited to it.
> 
> **Makoto > **Sis…
> 
> **Sae > **It was a joke.
> 
> **Sae > **I was being funny.
> 
> **Futaba > >_<**
> 
> **Ann > **So we’re all meeting after school at Leblanc?
> 
> **Ryuji > **sounds good

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

Sae sighed as she put her phone down. She was glad that the Phantom Thieves trusted her. It motivated her to work even harder to find the information they needed. She sighed when she thought about how what should be an easy task got a lot more complicated because of who is going to visit her in a moment as she heard someone knock on the door of her office. She did not need this right now, she needed to be quick about her investiation, sooner or later the police would find out about Akira’s escape and they would probably restrict her access at that point.

“Come in,” she said. Her door quickly opening as an excited, young-looking man walked in.

Teru Tendo, despite looking like he had just hit his early 20’s, was a 26-year old lawyer with red hair, wearing a blue suit with orange stripes along with a red tie with a star on it that he tucked inside his shirt, and a bit of stubble on his chin. Normally Sae didn’t mind him too much, he was the only friend from law school she had kept in touch with, other than the fact that he was a little bit…intense sometimes. He just came in at a very unfortunate time.

Teru reminded Sae of that blonde kid, Ryuji. He was pretty much a slightly more mature, less vulgar grown-up version. Sae sighed as she remembered the other detail about Teru’s personality…the fact that he was obsessed with superheroes.

“Sae, you gotta hear me out!” he said, sounding serious as he sat across from her. She hadn’t bothered to get up to offer him a seat, knowing that Teru would sit down anyway.

“What is it Teru? I’m really busy. I’ve been assigned to this huge Phantom Thief case and I should really…” she tried reasoning with him before he interrupted her. She was technically lying to Teru, considering she had been relieved of the case the day before Akira’s arrest, but he didn’t need to know that right now.

“That’s exactly what this is about Sae! When I found out you were the lead prosecutor on the case, I just had to contact you!” he said, slamming his fists on the table excitedly as Sae raised an eyebrow at him.

“I haven’t seen you this worked up in ages so I am kind of curious. Fine, tell me why you’re here,” she admitted causing Teru to look a bit more relaxed.

“I knew I could count on you to hear me out! Everyone called me crazy after I left that corrupt firm I was working for, I just couldn’t deal with their injustice anymore y’know?” he rambled before Sae interrupted him.

“You quit your job, Teru? Are you insane?” Sae asked him with an exasperated look on her face.

“You think I’m crazy too, huh…?” he muttered, looking sad, the excited tone in his voice being all but gone as he looked towards the ground.

“I hope not, but you’re so hot-blooded sometimes... Why did you do it?” Sae asked, causing Teru to perk up a little.

“They forced me to give up on a client. He was just a little kid, Sae. Said I was out of a job if I didn’t drop the case,” Teru explained as Sae swore she could see tears well up in his eyes. Teru had always been an emotional guy and it would make sense for him to get emotional over something like this.

“I did it at first but then the kid confronted me, pointing out I abandoned him despite the fact that I promised to stick with him till the end. He told me I was a huge jerk and honestly, I was. I was the worst kind of jerk. I felt like a crap lawyer and it made me decide to quit on the spot. I had to stick with that little boy, he had no one else. I won the case, but being a freelance lawyer is super tough..” he said, letting out a sigh when he finished his story.

“What does this have to do with the Phantom Thieves though?” Sae asked, getting impatient. She really liked Teru, but this was not the time for him to come vent about his life's struggles.

“They inspired me to quit my job! Like, everyone says they’re shitbags but I believe in their innocence and I just know they’re trying to prove themselves! They’re just being framed, it always happens to champions of justice!” Teru yelled, sounding like an excited teenager who raved about his favorite TV show as Sae rolled her eyes at him once again.

“And you think that, why?” Sae asked him, trying to sound skeptical. She couldn’t let Teru find out she was on the Phantom Thieves side now.

“I did my research, y’know? I had a lot of free time and I wanted to offer them my services as a lawyer if they ever get into legal trouble! And since you have connections to this case, I figured you could pass my offer along if they’re ever in said trouble,” he said, looking proud of his conviction as Sae shook her head.

“So…what did your research reveal?” she asked, although she doubted that Teru had gotten anything convincing. He was a bit of an idiot, lovable, but still an idiot.

“Well, I deducted that most, if not all, of them go to Shujin Academy. The leader’s probably that kid that transferred in right before they became a thing. I believe his name was Akira Kurusu? The other thieves are probably his friends. It’s always like that on TV too, y’know? I’m not sure who those friends are yet, but if I dig deep enough I’m sure I can find something out. His boyfriend’s definitely one of them though, even though his name escapes me at the moment…” Teru explained before he paused to think.

Sae turned white at Teru’s explanation. Teru, despite the fact that he would never hurt a fly, was getting dangerously close to the truth. Too close to the truth.

“Are you alright Sae? You look like you’ve seen a ghost...” he asked, before he perked up.

“Oooh, I’m right aren’t I?” he said excitedly as he pumped his fists into the air.

“Let it go, Teru,” Sae told him sternly, cutting him off as he looked at her. Teru looked very confused. Sae knew she was taking a risk by cutting him off like that, he would probably figure out he was right, but she couldn’t let Teru involve himself. Knowing him, he would put himself in harm’s way if it meant he would become a hero himself. She knew about that dream of his and even though she thought it was endearing, it had also led Teru to make some...questionable decisions in the past and she was sure he would do so again if he got in touch with the Phantom Thieves.

“Why?” he asked inquisitively. He looked like he was getting suspicious of her.

“What are you not telling me Sae?” he said as he stood up, trying to look menacing but Sae thought it just made him look like an idiot.

Sae sighed before she got up herself, walking towards Teru as she hugged him close, causing him to drop the pencil he was holding in shock.

“Let it go Teru, I’m asking you as a friend. Please let it go, for your own sake,” she whispered in his ear, causing him to blush. Teru quickly broke away from their hug, looking to the ground in embarrassment.

“I…eh…I should go…” Teru muttered, quickly saying his goodbyes as he left Sae’s office.

Sae sighed, she hated that she had to resort to playing with Teru’s feelings. She knew he had feelings for her in the past, he may still have them now, but she had never seen him that way herself. Teru was Teru, her friend from law school, and nothing more than that.

More importantly though, she had to tell the others about this development and get back to her research as she looked on her watch to check the time. She let out a relieved sigh when she realized she still had time to to complete what she was working on before they were gathering at Leblanc.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Teru blushed fiercely as he stood outside of the Prosecutor’s Office. Sae, the Sae he adored since he met her, had embraced him. He couldn’t heed her warning though. He wasn't stupid and the fact that she had gone to these lengths to keep him from digging deeper had convinced him of that she was indeed hiding something. He knew that there was something that she wasn’t telling him and Teru vowed to find out what it was. He just wanted to help the Phantom Thieves out, they could use someone like him, and maybe it would help him fulfill his own dream in the process.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji and Akira had gone back upstairs to play video games while they waited for the others to arrive, causing the afternoon to go by really fast. The atmosphere surrounding them was relaxed, almost normal, as they casually chatted like nothing had happened. Ryuji had to bite his tongue a couple of times, he was really worried about Akira, but he felt like he shouldn’t press the other boy for answers.

It irked him though, especially since Akira was always the first to call Ryuji out for keeping things to himself and Akira was doing the same thing now.

“What are you guys playing?” they heard an excited Futaba ask from behind them. They hadn’t heard her come up the stairs, jumping up in surprise when they heard her voice.

“Ooooh, I love that game! You gotta let me kick your ass sometime guys!” she taunted them with a smirk, before her face changed to a more serious expression.

“Everyone’s waiting for you downstairs by the way,” she pointed out before she ran back downstairs, causing Ryuji and Akira to follow her.

“Are you sure you’re up for this man?” Ryuji asked, concerned for Akira’s well-being.

Akira shrugged before nodding, which made Ryuji even more annoyed with him for some reason.

The first thing Ryuji noticed when they got downstairs was that Sojiro had closed up early like he promised them.

Ryuji worried it was affecting Sojiro’s customer base, but he knew he couldn’t really do anything about that. Most of their friends were already there.

He saw Yusuke and Futaba talking together in one of the booths, both asking Akira how he was doing the moment they saw him. He noticed Makoto and Sae sitting together as well, Sae must’ve picked her sister up at school before they came over here, putting a smile on Ryuji’s face. Makoto had oftentimes mentioned how sad she was about her sister becoming distant and Ryuji was glad that they seemed to be mending their relationship.

He looked around to find his two closest friends, but to his surprise neither Ann nor Haru had arrived yet. Ann he could understand, but Haru was always early.

“No I told you, you can’t come with us Sadayo-san,” he could hear Ann’s voice from outside the café before the door opened, revealing Ann and Haru standing in the doorway. They tried to close the door, but Kawakami blocked the doorway with her foot before pushing the door open to let herself in.

“I’m sorry guys, we tried to tell her, but she just followed us here…” Ann apologized, before sending an annoyed look at her teacher.

“I do know here Akira lives, y’know?” Kawakami pointed out before casually sitting down on one of the bar stools.

“So what’s the plan kids?” she asked as everyone just stared at her in shock.

“What?” she asked after no one responded, causing Akira to clear his throat.

“I think we’re all just wondering why you’re here Sadayo-san?” he asked politely.

“Other than being worried about you, you mean? After going home yesterday I kept thinking about what we discussed while you, Ryuji-kun and Makoto were still upstairs. The thing concerning Masayoshi Shido,” Kawakami explained before Ryuji interrupted her.

“Shido? Who’s that?” Ryuji asked, sounding confused.

“The guy Akechi mentioned while we were spying on him after the heist. He called him to say Akira’s capture had been successful, don’t you remember Ryuji?” Futaba asked him, sounding a tad annoyed.

“No, not really,” Ryuji admitted, he had been too focused on Akira’s safety at the time to remember anything else about that night.

“Well I guess that’s understandable, perhaps I should give us all a refresher on what happened after we left the Casino then?” Makoto offered.

Ryuji had expected someone to make a snide remark about him being an idiot, but to his surprise no one did as Makoto started her explanation.

“So after we got away with the fake suitcase Akechi quickly disappeared. He hadn’t realized we were on to him at that point so he didn’t bother to check if we were following him. We did though and we were able to listen in on a very interesting phone call because of that. He reported that their plan was a success before dropping his accomplice’s name, Shido. I quickly realized they were talking about Masayoshi Shido, that guy who’s running for Prime Minister. I don’t blame you for not remembering Ryuji, you were probably too occupied with Akira at the time, but we all decided to look into him after the heist ended. That’s most likely what everyone discussed while we were upstairs with Akira. Shido’s probably behind everything that happened the past year. My sister and Futaba spent most of the day trying to find out things about him and part of the reason why we gathered here is to discuss how to proceed,” Makoto explained, taking a deep breath after she finished.

“It’s like Makoto said, I hacked into a lot of political websites, databases, you name it really to find out dirt on Shido and take a look. This is all I got about him,” Futaba said, pointing to her laptop as everyone gathered behind her to try and take a look.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira’s face went white when he saw Shido’s picture. “No way,” he muttered, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.

“I’m here because of that bastard, that’s the guy who assaulted that woman before he made her testify against me!”

“Are you serious?!” Ryuji responded as he put his hand on Akira’s shoulder as a sign of support.

“Isn’t that even more reason to get the bastard?!” he continued, the rest of the Phantom Thieves agreeing with him instantly.

It warmed Akira’s heart that see his friends stand up for him like that, even the adults in the room made sure he knew they supported him 100%, offering to help them out as much as they could.

Sae and Kawakami shared their research with them next. Sae had scoured the Prosecutor’s Office database for information about Shido, only to find that it was mostly classified which she thought was incredibly suspicious. Kawakami had brought along flyers that government officials had spread around the school building to create voting awareness under the 18-year old seniors, it was the first time they were allowed to vote after all. There were a lot of flyers about Shido that she thought could potentially be helpful.

* * *

******Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was grateful for the support everyone showed Akira, he really was. He couldn’t help but feel like everyone was avoiding the bigger picture though. Akira had clearly been scarred by what happened to him and here they were talking about their next heist as if it would happen the next day, unless…Unless that was Akira’s plan. Make everyone focus on the heist so they didn’t focus on him. He would have to ask him about that when they were alone, Ryuji knew that for sure.

“So, how does finding a palace work?” Kawakami asked the group.

“I mean, isn’t that what you guys do next? Checking if this Shido guy has a palace?” she clarified, causing Futaba to explain to her that they needed three things. A name, a location and how the target perceived the world.

“I suppose we can give it a try,” Makoto said after thinking about it for a moment.

“We got a lot of people here now, so we might be able to come up with the Palace keywords.”

Everyone seemed to think about it for a moment, before Sae spoke up.

“There’s actually someone else I should mention as well, a guy who I guess is a friend of mine,” she said, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

“Teru Tendo, a lawyer who I went to law school with is really into the Phantom Thieves now. He’s convinced you guys are innocent…” she explained before she got interrupted by multiple people cheering.

“He sounds like a cool guy!” Ryuji exclaimed. Finally an adult who wasn’t against them.

“He also figured out Akira’s identity and he’s determined to find out about the rest of you so he can help you all out if you get in legal trouble. I told him to let it go, but I know Teru and well…we should be careful,” she continued, shutting them up the moment they realized someone was hot on their trail.

“Hold up! Sis you don’t mean that funny Teru who's literally always excited about something do you? As in the guy who painted a cat’s face over his own and wore cat ears to cheer you up after dad died?” Makoto asked, sounding incredibly surprised.

“Yeah, that guy. Despite his antics he’s actually…quite a capable lawyer,” she sighed.

“So how screwed are we?” Ann asked, sounding nervous after what Sae had just revealed to them.

“I think it’ll be fine for now, Teru’s still Teru. He’s a lovable idiot and I think I was able to throw him off for now. We should still move as fast as possible though,” Sae explained calmly.

Ryuji didn’t like that part. As fast as possible implied that Akira wouldn’t get a chance to rest, none of them would.

“Back to the keywords then!” they heard Futaba exclaim excitedly. She always loved it when they figured out keywords, it reminded her of puzzle games.

“I think I narrowed down the first two. His name is obviously Masayoshi Shido, while the location is probably the Diet Building…As for how he sees it though, I tried a lot of things but I couldn’t get a hit…” she explained, urging the others to try.

“How about Empire?” Haru suggested.

“No results found,” the heard the voice from their Metaverse app reply, meaning it was a no go.

“Castle?” Yusuke tried.

“No results found.”

“Palace?” Sojiro suggested, explaining that Shido probably viewed himself as a king.

“No results found.”

“Wait a minute,” Kawakami said as she pointed to one of the flyers she had brought.

“A way to sail to a new Japan,” she read, tilting her head to think for a moment before he face lit up.

“How about Cruise Ship?” she asked confidently.

“Result found, would you like to begin navigation?” the app asked, before Futaba quickly turned it off and Ryuji was glad she did. They did not need to bring Sae, Kawakami and Sojiro into the Metaverse.

They discussed their plans for the heist afterwards, deciding to check out the Diet Building the next day after school, before Haru pointed out that Akira was presumed dead.

“Is it even responsible for him to go outside right now?” she asked, causing Ryuji’s chest to flare up with hope for a moment. He had forgotten about this and it would keep Akira out of harm's way for now.

“It should be fine, as long as he doesn’t do anything that makes him stand out and makes sure to cover his face it should be okay, it’s not like the police know exactly what he looks like…” Sae said while Sojiro and Kawakami agreed causing the spark of hope that Ryuji felt to disappear.

“Great, let’s meet up tomorrow then!” Akira said, sounding excited to be allowed outside again, before Sojiro pointed out that he was just allowed outside for the heist. He was to stay inside whenever they weren’t going to the Metaverse, a thing which Akira reluctantly agreed to.

As for their part, Sae promised to keep tabs from inside the Prosecutor’s Office as long as she could although she pointed out that she expected to be put on leave any day now. Kawakami would tell the school that Akira had to take an emergency family trip home while she would also offer him and the rest of the thieves moral support whenever she could. Sojiro once again stated that they could use Leblanc as their base of operations from now on, he would close shop early whenever they needed to meet. It caused Ryuji to realize that maybe having a couple of adults on their team, or supporting their time, wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Everyone eventually left after they made sure their plans for the next day were set and Akira was alright. Haru decided to take Morgana with her once again after she found out that Ryuji was going to stay with Akira for one more night before going back home, something the two boys and Morgana all happily agreed to.

Ryuji and Akira made their way back to the attic after eating the dinner Sojiro had made for them, the older man excusing himself to be with Futaba. They had really reconnected again after Akira had helped them both out, which made Ryuji happy.

“Sucks I’m not allowed to go out, huh?” Akira said as he let himself drop on his bed in frustration.

“I think it makes sense,” Ryuji responded, causing Akira to glare at him.

“What was that?” he grunted, sounding uncharacteristically angry.

“You’re hurt, if it were up to me you wouldn’t come with us tomorrow. I don’t want you to force yourself man!” Ryuji pointed out, hoping to calm Akira down.

“That’s rich coming from you,” Akira spat venomously, causing Ryuji to feel the anger he had pushed away all day to start rising inside his chest.

“The hell do you mean by that?” he shouted angrily, causing Akira to wince before he looked away from Ryuji.

“I’m sorry Ryu…I don’t know what came over me,” Akira muttered, looking like he was about to cry as Ryuji walked over to him to give him a hug. He just couldn’t stay mad at Akira and he knew Akira needed him right now, causing him to swallow his pent-up emotions once more to be there for his boyfriend.

He could hear Ann’s warning echo in the back of his mind and he knew, deep down, that she was right. He couldn’t just ignore Akira when he was like this though, it broke his heart.

“Let’s go to bed Akira,” he said after he wrapped his arm around the other guy.

“But it’s not even past 10 yet…” Akira muttered, before he caught on to what Ryuji was saying.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t cuddle under the sheet does it?” Ryuji said with a wink as he stripped his shirt off, Akira quickly following until both guys were in their boxers before they quickly got under the sheets.

“I love you, Ryu…” Akira whispered as they embraced each other, causing Ryuji to blush.

“I love you too man…I just…” Ryuji said, before biting his tongue. He couldn’t say it.

“What is it Ryuji? Akira asked, sounding concerned.

“It’s nothing…” Ryuji stammered. He swore he could see a flash of anger inside Akira’s eyes as he said it, before the other boy smiled at him.

“If you say so…I’m actually quite tired, do you mind if we try and sleep after all?” he asked, his voice sounding off somehow.

“Sure…” Ryuji muttered, surprised by Akira’s demeanor having changed completely.

“Do you want me to wake you up tomorrow before I go to school?” he asked as Akira let go of him.

“Yeah sure, at least we can say goodbye then…” he could hear the other boy mutter before he turned away from him.

Ryuji wanted to put his arms around Akira, but for some reason felt too afraid to try. For the first time since they started dating Akira felt distant…as Ryuji hoped that he was just imagining things…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that…trouble in paradise I see? Oh no…
> 
> Anyways, this chapter mainly functioned to advance the plot and set things up to be in-line with the game again. The main changes being Kawakami, Sae and Sojiro playing a more active role this time around.  
> Not a lot of Akiryu stuff here, I know, but they’ll get tons of focus in the next 3 chapters where they’ll face their biggest crisis yet (and I wanted to get setting up Shido’s palace out of the way so I can focus exclusively on that).  
> Btw, the thing about the voting age in Japan changing is actually something that really happened in 2016 (the year Persona 5 happens), I did my research on that xD
> 
> Also in case you’re wondering why Teru got a backstory. He’s going to play the role of a big brother-like mentor for Ryuji later on so he’ll be back in the future. I hope you like, or will grow to like, him :)
> 
> But yeah, hope you’ll join me for the next chapter because that’s when stuff is really going to start happening. And as always, leave a kudo or a comment if you enjoyed it or just want to let me know something or you can always shoot me a message on tumblr ^_^
> 
> Oh and speaking of tumblr check out this post of mine if you want a teaser for what’s coming up:  
> http://raindene.tumblr.com/post/166647143477/  
> I’ll probably post more stuff like that in the future too xD
> 
> Tiny 25/10 update to age down Teru a little. He's 26 now instead of 28 like he is in his source material xD


	12. Please Don't Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji bit his lip when he saw the way Akira responded. Akira wasn’t even using the nickname he had for him, but he decided to ignore the warning bells he could hear ringing inside his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I’m back with another update ^_^ This time doing what I do best, writing tons of angst. No seriously, the next 2 chapters are going to be intense, but things will start to (temporarily) look up after that, so hold on tight! Chapter’s a bit on the short side, but I didn’t want to drag this out more than I had to. I kinda hated writing this >_>

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It had been over a week since they had started the heist on Shido’s Palace and they were making great progress, they had already found 4 of the 5 keys and even though being turned into mice was annoying, navigating the palace was easy enough. Despite their progress Ryuji had started feeling increasingly crappy over the past few days. He knew why too, it was early December and early December had been when his father had left him and his mom all those years ago.

Ryuji did know that it shouldn’t make him as upset as it always did, his father was a jackass and it was a good thing that he was gone from their lives…But even though Ryuji knew that, it didn’t change the fact that he had more or less lost his father and part of him longed to have a normal family...or at least some kind of male role model to look up to.

On top of that Akira had been distant ever since the last time they had been alone. They hadn’t spent any time with just the two of them since the night before they started the heist. They had almost gotten into an argument that night and Ryuji felt like Akira hadn’t forgiven him for the things he had said. Not that Ryuji was going to apologize for that, he had been right, Akira shouldn’t force himself and he knew that was exactly what the other boy had been doing.

Whenever they were in the Metaverse he could see Akira’s movements weren’t as smooth as before, how he limped after a tough encounter and how he was just…more careful overall. It shocked Ryuji that their other friends hadn’t said anything, he couldn’t be the only one that noticed it could he?

Thinking about it, Ryuji knew that wasn’t true. He knew Ann and Haru were worried about Akira, they had told him as much, and he figured that Makoto and Morgana were as well.

He wasn’t sure about Yusuke and Futaba, they had kind of distanced themselves from the group lately due to what Ann insisted was a budding romance, but they were probably concerned about Akira as well.

No one spoke up though, leaving Ryuji on the receiving end of Akira’s increasingly snide remarks whenever he mentioned his worry to him.

* * *

_They had just fought against another one of the Cruise VIPs when Ryuji caught Akira panting heavily. He looked exhausted…and more importantly in a great deal of pain when Ryuji approached him._

_“You sure we should continue today man? We can always come back tomorrow...” he asked, his voice filled with worry._

_“You tired or something?” Akira snapped at him, causing Ryuji to flinch at the harshness of Akira’s tone. It had been ages since he had talked lovingly to Ryuji and it caused Ryuji to feel like he had messed up somehow._

_“No I’m just worried about you…” Ryuji muttered, looking away. Maybe approaching Akira when he was like this had been a mistake._

_“Worry ‘bout yourself Skull, I can take care of myself,” Akira stated, before walking off to stand with the other Phantom Thieves._

_“We’re going!” he yelled moments later before running off to the next room, the rest of the group exchanging worried looks before following him, leaving Ryuji standing on his own._

_“You coming Skull?” he could hear Ann call out to him, causing him to swallow the tears he could feel were about to burst from his eyes before he followed after the group._

* * *

He hadn’t really talked to anyone about how he felt, he didn’t want the others to think he was complaining about his boyfriend. Besides, Ryuji figured it was just the stuff with his father that caused him to feel like this. It had to be that. After the weekend passed, everything would go back to normal and he was going to prove that to himself by texting Akira to ask if he could stay the night tonight, it was Saturday after all, as he pulled out his phone. He was sure that if they would spent some quality time together, everything would go back to normal. 

> **Ryuji > **hey kira, got a minute?
> 
> **Akira > **I’m stuck in my attic room, what do you think?
> 
> **Akira > **I got all the time in the world.
> 
> **Akira > **What do you want Ryuji?

Ryuji bit his lip when he saw the way Akira responded. Akira wasn’t even using the nickname he had for him, but he decided to ignore the warning bells he could hear ringing inside his head. 

> **Ryuji > **can i spend the night tonight?
> 
> **Ryuji > **it’s saturday and my mom isn’t home…
> 
> **Ryuji >** we can also have some fun tomorrow, since we weren’t going to the palace anyways…
> 
> **Akira > **Suit yourself, I can’t promise I’m much fun though.
> 
> **Ryuji > **aww kira, you’re always fun to me <3
> 
> **Akira > **I’ll see you this afternoon then.
> 
> **Ryuji > **see ya soon!

Ryuji pumped his fist in the air to celebrate his success before realizing he was still in class as his teacher called him out.

“If only you would be so excited about your studies Sakamoto-kun…” Miss Usami remarked causing the rest of the students to laugh at him as he buried his head inside the book in front of him.

He really had to try and pay attention more in class, he knew that, but it was so boring.

Ryuji couldn’t help but shake the feeling that there was a recipe for disaster brewing though and even though he didn’t understand why, it caused him to feel uneasy for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Ryuji nervously made his way over to Leblanc after stopping by his own apartment after school. He had quickly gotten a change of clothes and left a note for his mom that he was going to stay at Akira’s place, putting it on the fridge in case she got home tonight. She had been at work a lot more ever since she got promoted, apparently being assistant manager meant she had to go there even more, but Ryuji was proud of her nonetheless. This was the position she had wanted for so long and she deserved it. Ryuji hoped that one day he could make his mother proud by getting a good job too.

When Ryuji entered the café Sojiro greeted him before asking if the others were coming as well.

“Nah, it’s just me today boss. Is Kira upstairs?” he replied politely to which Sojiro nodded, telling Ryuji to head upstairs quickly so he wouldn’t disturb the customers. When Ryuji looked around, he wondered which customers Sojiro meant considering Leblanc looked pretty much empty, but he shrugged and went upstairs like he was asked.

When Ryuji reached the top of the stairs he was shocked by what he saw. He had expected Akira to be playing video games, reading manga or watching a movie, instead he was curled up on his bed with a blank stare on his face.

“Kira?” Ryuji asked, cautiously moving closely to Akira until he reached him. Akira blinked a couple of times as Ryuji waved his hand in front of his face before the other boy finally noticed him as he seemed to snap out of his trance-like state.

“Yo!” he said casually, annoying Ryuji immensely. Was Akira really going to pretend that nothing happened just now?

“What the hell was that?” he demanded to know, causing Akira to glare at him.

“What was what?” he retorted, his voice sounding slightly hostile.

“Are you really gonna effin’ do this dude? You always pretend you’re okay, but I know you’re freakin’ not! Not during the heist. Not now. You haven’t been since you came back from prison and I get it sucked but you have to freakin’ tell someone! You have to tell me!” Ryuji yelled, finally snapping at Akira’s behavior. He couldn’t keep his anger locked up any longer. He had tried do and succeeded to do so for weeks now and he had reached his boiling point as Ryuji could feel something inside of him explode.

Akira stared at him for a few moments causing Ryuji to believe that maybe he had finally gotten through to him, but instead of an understanding look one of intense anger showed up on Akira’s face.

It scared Ryuji immensely, he had never seen Akira look at him like that and the fact that that look, that look of intense anger, was directed at him brought back bad memories.

“What the hell do you know about what I went through Ryuji? Why the hell are you always judging me?” he yelled, standing up to face Ryuji. Ryuji could feel Akira’s eyes burn into him like storm clouds. He could feel fear strike him when he saw the storm that was brewing inside of them.

“I’m not judging you…” he muttered weakly, unable to hide the fear inside his voice.

“Oh please, you’re always trying to coddle me! What is that about then, huh?” Akira pointed out, the anger in his voice becoming more apparent with every word he uttered.

“I’m just worried…Please don’t yell at me Kira…” Ryuji pleaded as he could fill tears fill his eyes. All the yelling reminded him of the way his dad yelled him when he had deemed his behavior to be bad. The times his dad had beat him up for being loud or making a mistake or doing anything that he didn’t like. Was Akira going to hit him now too?

“Well maybe you deserve being yelled at!” Akira remarked snidely, the words hitting Ryuji like a truck.

“What…do you mean?” Ryuji asked, unable to keep his voice from going dark.  

“You remember how we always tell you to be a good boy whenever you do something good?” Akira said sarcastically as Ryuji carefully nodded, he did not like where this was going. He did not like it one bit.

“Well you’re a bad boy now, a really bad boy and you’ve made me very upset,” Akira said, telling Ryuji off like he was a little kid.

That was when something inside of Ryuji snapped as he rushed forward, grabbing Akira’s collar as he pushed him against the wall.

“I dare you to say that again,” he shouted, gritting his teeth in anger as he balled his other hand into a fist, preparing to hit the other boy.

It took Ryuji a couple of seconds to realize what he had done before he let go of Akira in shock.

“Kira…I…I’m sorry…” he muttered.

Ryuji wanted to beg for forgiveness but the damage had already been done as Akira looked at him with a mix of disbelief and shock.

“Get out Ryuji,” he said after readjusting his glasses.

“No, please let me explain…” Ryuji muttered, moving closer to Akira as he attempted to hug him, before Akira intercepted him, pushing him away and causing Ryuji to stumble backwards before he fell on the ground. It hurt, Ryuji thought, but the pain he felt was nothing compared to the pain Akira’s words made him feel inside.

“I said, get the hell out! I don’t want to see you again outside of Phantom Thief business! I mean it Ryuji, I’m so done with you right now!” Akira yelled before turning around, making it clear that Ryuji was no longer welcome.

“But I…” Ryuji stammered, unable to hold back his tears as he desperately hoped for Akira to say something, anything.

“You said you would stay with me until I wanted you to go, didn’t you?” Akira asked, sounding outright malicious as Ryuji could feel his heart break into a thousand pieces. He somehow knew where this was going and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Yes…” he managed to mutter, his voice cracking as he tried to hide the heartbreak he felt.

“I want you to go now, so what the hell are you still doing here!?” Akira shouted, not even turning around to face him.

After that Ryuji just ran away, not knowing what else to do as the tears streamed down his face. He passed by a concerned Sojiro, ignoring the older man’s efforts to ask him what was wrong as he ran out of the café. He didn’t know where to go so he just ran, and ran, and ran until he tired himself out collapsing in a deserted alley as he burst into tears. Akira had left him, just like his father had done all those years ago. He truly was undesired, wasn’t he?

Ryuji curled up, pulling his knees to his face as he hugged himself. He didn’t even care if people saw him like this and thought he was weird. He felt like nothing mattered anymore.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

That was the hardest thing he had ever done, Akira thought after he had heard Ryuji run down the stairs. The reason he had turned around was so that Ryuji wouldn’t see him cry, because if he did, he knew he wouldn’t have left. It was a miracle he was able to yell at Ryuji the way he had.

“Is everything okay up there…?” he heard a concerned Sojiro calling from downstairs.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Akira yelled back, knowing that Sojiro didn’t believe him. That was fine though, he didn’t need him to. As long as everyone left him alone, everything would be fine eventually.

Akira had made his decision as he moved back to sit on his bed, pulling his covers around him as he continued to stare in front of him. There was no point doing anything else anyways.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

After wandering around Tokyo for what felt like hours Ryuji eventually arrived back at his own apartment, ripping the note he wrote for his mom off the fridge before crumpling it up. The crumpled up paper reminded him of his own heart, destroyed, before he threw it in the trash.

He sighed as he knew he had to eat something, warming up some cup noodles which he quickly ate before he went into his room. He locked his door, something he rarely ever did, before he dropped down on his bed.

Ryuji felt broken and alone, he had ruined the best thing in his life and he hated himself for it. If only he hadn’t snapped at Akira, if only he had been stronger, they would be having a romantic and fun night right now. Ryuji was sure of that.

He wanted to punch himself, he deserved to be beaten up for what he had done. He was an idiot, a worthless idiot, who didn’t deserve anyone’s love. He had proven that once again. Maybe his dad was right when he left all those years ago, who would stick around for Ryuji?

Even though his mom denied it, Ryuji had found old picture books that showed they had a loving relationship before he came around. It was probably his fault that his father had turned into an alcoholic that beat the shit out of both of them. If only he hadn’t been born, everyone in his life would probably be better off that way.

Before completely losing himself in self-pity, Ryuji could hear his phone buzz. He let out a loud groan as he grabbed it, reading the text that had just arrived. 

> **Ann > **You having fun at Akira’s place? :)
> 
> **Ryuji > **He kicked me out…
> 
> **Ann > **WHAT?! 

It took a grand total of 2 seconds before Ryuji’s phone rang as Ann’s caller ID flashed across the screen. Ryuji took a deep breath before answering, he could do this. He could pretend that he was fine for Ann. He did not need to bother her.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

“Sup?” Ann could hear Ryuji say through the phone. He seemed to try to answer it as casually as possible, but she wouldn’t have bought it even if his voice hadn’t cracked the moment he started speaking. She could hear Ryuji had been crying, filling her with a feeling of dread.

“Oh don’t give me that crap! What happened Ryuji?” Ann said, a mixture of concern and surprise lacing her voice.

“Akira…kicked me out…” Ryuji muttered, choking on his tears.

“You mentioned that, but why?” Ann asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.

“You know…how he’s been off, right?” Ryuji asked, carefully phrasing what he was saying. Ann figured he was probably trying his hardest not to cry. She didn’t mind it if he did though, Akira meant everything to him and she knew that, but at least this would ensure that she would get an actual story out of him. That way she could help him.

“You mean how he’s been pushing himself and pretending everything’s fine?”

“Yeah…”

“What about that?”

“I confronted him about it…” Ryuji said, his voice cracking again.

“Well one of us would eventually, I know Makoto was really bothered by it as well. Heck, we all were. So what happened next?” Ann reasoned, bracing herself for what Ryuji was going to tell her next.

“He…he provoked me…and it reminded me of my dad and I… I…” Ryuji muttered, seemingly unwilling to tell Ann what he had done.

“You did what…?” Ann asked, hating that she had to press Ryuji for information.

“I attacked him…I grabbed his collar and pushed him against the wall…I’m a huge piece of shit…He deserved better than that…and he knew…” Ryuji stammered in-between his sobs.

“Yeah that’s bad…” Ann agreed, before quickly adding “but it’s not like Akira to immediately drop you for something like that!”

“Well he did…he pushed me to the ground and…and told me to go…” Ryuji muttered, his sobbing getting worse with every word that Ann could hear him utter.

“So you just went?” Ann asked.

“What else was I supposed to do? He doesn’t want me Ann…”

“You know that’s not true, right?” she yelled, unable to hold back her frustration any longer. She hated seeing him like this. Ryuji always got so down on himself whenever something happened and she knew for a fact that this hadn’t been his fault, at least not completely.

“But he said…he said he didn’t want me anymore…” Ryuji repeated, sounding like a broken record.

“Okay Ryuji how about I come over tomorrow and we talk about it then? I know there’s more to this, there has to be,” she told him. She realized that there was no point to try and convince Ryuji over the phone, she needed to go and talk to him in person if she wanted any chance of cheering her best friend up. She would’ve gone immediately, but it was already late and she didn’t know how long it would take. Ryuji sounded tired as well, so it was probably better if he got some rest first.

“You can but…is there really a point?” Ryuji asked, sounding like he had lost all hope at this point.

“Yes Ryuji, now do me a favor and go to bed alright? I’ll be there for you tomorrow and everything will be okay, I promise!” Ann told him before Ryuji excused himself, telling Ann he needed some time on his own but telling her she could come over the next day.

After getting off the phone with Ryuji, Ann knew she had to do more than just talk to him the next day. She could, and would, not let this happen. Ryuji and Akira were perfect for each other and there was no way she was going to let them break up. Based on what Ryuji had told her she had been able to deduce where they had gone wrong. It had been the exact thing she had warned Ryuji about, but he obviously hadn’t listened to her. Not that she had expected him too, but she never expected things to get this out of hand. She figured she, or one of the other girls, would’ve noticed it before it did. Ann had been wrong though and she silently cursed herself for not seeing this earlier.

But she knew that couldn’t change the past and decided that it was up to her to make them see that it was their problems, not each other, that had caused them to push each other away. She was going to make them see that no matter how much effort it was going to take.

She thought about it for a while before she realized she needed help, deciding to call the one person who could help her out. Makoto.

She was Akira’s best friend, so it would be better if she talked with him instead of Ann trying to get things out of him. It wasn’t like Ann and Akira didn’t get along, but Makoto would probably be able to get through to him better than she could. Besides, she could hardly split herself in two and talk to both Ryuji and Akira at the same time and she knew Ryuji needed her right now. Hearing the broken tone of his voice reminded her of when he had been beaten up by those bullies. He desperately needed someone to be there for him and as much as Ann liked Akira, Ryuji was more important to her.

“Ann, do you have any idea what time it is…” the other girl responded as she picked up her phone, sounding incredibly annoyed.

“I think Akira and Ryuji just broke up Makoto. I felt like this was a state of emergency that warranted a late night phone call, don’t you agree?”

“WHAT!” Makoto yelled, excusing herself to check if Akira had sent her a text.

“Akira did indeed sent me a message telling me that he and Ryuji had a fight but it doesn’t make sense, they were so crazy in love last time I saw them…” Makoto said a moment later, sounding surprised to say the least.

“Exactly, do you have time to meet up tomorrow? We have to fix this before they self-destruct…I do not want to go there again and Ryuji’s already in bad shape. Knowing Akira and what he went through recently, he’s probably in a similar position and I’m really worried about the two of them…” Ann told Makoto, her voice filled with resolve. They had to, and would, fix this.

“I agree, let’s meet up in the morning. That way we can put our plans into motion before we have to go to school on Monday, we cannot let this affect our studies more than it has to,” Makoto suggested, causing Ann to roll her eyes the moment Makoto mentioned school.

“I guess there’s that too...Let’s meet up in at the diner at 10am then?”

“Sounds good to me,” Makoto agreed before hanging up the phone, telling Ann that she really wanted to go back to bed now.

Ann decided that now was a good time to go to sleep herself, resolving that no matter what, Ryuji and Akira would get back together before the weekend was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I did it again with a cliffhanger xD But seriously, let’s hope Ann’s plan works shall we?  
> I realize that I wrote Akira as a bit of a jerk here but it'll be explained next chapter, although I did leave a hint here already. Akira does have his reasons, obviously. Quite…touching ones, actually. Misguided, sure, but touching nonetheless.  
> Also please keep in mind that both Akira and Ryuji are heavily, heavily acting based on their mental health which is causing their irrational behavior. I actually feel like I was able to get that down pretty realistically, I know I’ve done some fucked up things myself because of issues in the past >_>  
> Phone call was originally written from Ryuji’s PoV, but I changed it to Ann ‘cause I want to keep Ryuji’s actual state of mind a bit of a mystery until next chapter rolls around because I’m horrible like that xD
> 
> I’ll try to post the next chapter ASAP though, can’t keep you guys waiting for too long considering what just happened now can I? So keep a lookout during the weekend, maybe even Friday since I already got like...half of it written down :P
> 
> Next chapter will be the official halfway point too, so maybe I’ll do something special there ;)
> 
> As always feel free to message me on tumblr, or leave a kudo/comment!


	13. All Out of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji paced in front of Leblanc’s door. Was this really a good idea? What if Akira would just get madder at him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before starting this chapter off, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone for their support so far seeing as we’ve reached the halfway point for this fic. All your kudos, bookmarks, comments and tumblr notes mean the world to me and it makes writing a story like this super worth it! You guys motivate me to write the best story I possibly can and I’m loving every second of it, so thank you all so much for your support <3  
> I hope you’ll stick with me in the future as I got a lot of more stuff planned for these boys (and the other Phantom Thieves + some additional characters as well) and I hope you guys will enjoy where I’ll take this series in the future. I’m in it for the long haul and I hope you guys will join me for all of it ^_^
> 
> As for the chapter, I just want to point out that the Ryuji/Ann and Akira/Makoto conversations take place at around the same time. I’m also gonna start tackling Akira’s prison trauma here like I promised I would, I hope I can do it justice as it’s one of the more challenging things I’ve ever written.  
> And last but not least, it’s up on Friday, like I promised, but never again will I write a chapter this fast. It pretty much consumed the last 2 days of my life xD See it as a thank you for all the support guys :P

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira was lying on his bed, sighing as he stared at the ceiling. Morgana seemed to have given up on him, spending most of his name at Haru’s place, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He thought about Ryuji. Ryuji was all he could think about ever since he had sent him away the day before. He loved Ryuji, he loved Ryuji so much, but Ryuji shouldn’t suffer because of what happened to him.

Ryuji deserved someone who could support him and Akira knew that all he had done was ask for support. He wanted there to be a balance, a balance where both of them would give and take equally, but all Akira had done lately was taking and Ryuji deserved better than that.

He buried his head in his pillow when he felt another crying fit coming up. He had been crying on and off ever since he made Ryuji leave, the heartbreak in Ryuji’s voice had been too much for him.

Akira had made Ryuji feel like that, he had broken his heart and he could never take it back and undo it. It was better this way though, if Ryuji hated him he wouldn’t blame himself and Akira could at least carry that burden for him.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji sighed when he heard the doorbell ring, forcing himself to make his way towards the door to let Ann in. He hadn’t even bothered dressing himself today, wearing a pair of sweatpants along with a white shirt. He knew the rest of him looked like shit too, his hair was a mess and there were still tear stains on his face that he hadn’t bothered to clean off.

“Wow…” Ann muttered the moment she saw Ryuji, causing him to almost slam the door in her face before she barged in.

“Don’t point out I look like effin’ shit, I know,” Ryuji said as he lead Ann to the living room. He originally wanted to go to his own room, but after remembering the state he left it in it was probably better that he didn’t.

“So Ryuji…how bad is it?” Ann asked after she sat down, looking at him in a way that made it clear she was very concerned about him.

“I feel like freakin’ crap,” he answered. He couldn’t be bothered to lie to Ann, she would catch on anyways and maybe, just maybe, talking to her would actually help him feel better.

“I know I asked you yesterday, but what happened Ryuji? What could be so bad that you two aren’t on speaking terms anymore?”

Ann looked like she was confused and Ryuji could understand that. He was confused as well.

So he told her, he told her about how he felt insecure and texted Akira if he could come over. How they had fought, causing him to have his violent outburst before Akira shut him out completely.

After he finished telling her the entire story Ryuji had expected Ann to call him out on his behavior but she ended up giving him a loving hug instead.

“I’m so sorry Ryuji,” she said, her voice filled with sincerity as she softly smiled at him.

“You’re not…going to tell me I’m an asshole?” he asked, sounding surprised. He hadn't expected this response.

“I’m not, because this isn’t your fault. Not completely anyway,” she told him before breaking away from their hug to look him in the eye.

“What do you mean?” Ryuji asked. He didn’t understand what Ann was getting it. It was obvious to him that it had been his fault. He had attacked Akira, he had provoked him by calling him out on his behavior, if anyone was at fault it would be him.

“December’s when your dad left you, isn’t it?” she asked him, still sounding concerned.

“Yeah…” Ryuji muttered, unsure why she would ask him about that.

“Does Akira know?”

“No…” he answered, before Ann clapped her hands together, causing Ryuji to jump up in surprise.

“What the hell Ann?!” he shouted.

“See Ryuji, that right there is your problem!” she said as she pointed her finger at him.

“I’m not sure what you mean…” Ryuji muttered, getting more confused by the minute. What the hell was Ann getting at?

“You two don’t communicate,” Ann pointed out.

It took Ryuji a while, but the more he thought about what Ann said, the more he realized that she was right. He and Akira did have a bit of a communication problem.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“Akira, Makoto’s here to see you,” he could hear Sojiro call from downstairs. He wanted to ignore it, putting his pillow on his head to block the sound before he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

“I’m not going to wait downstairs until you manage to find a valid excuse for the way you’ve been acting, not that you…Oh my god Akira you look terrible,” Makoto ranted, running over to his bed the moment she saw him.

“Are you okay?” she asked, sitting down next to him on his bed as she looked at him with concern.

“What do you think?” Akira snapped, making himself sound like a jerk on purpose. He had been able to push Ryuji away and he would do the same to Makoto if it meant keeping his friends save from him.

“Don’t give me that, Akira. I know what you did to Ryuji, Ann told me everything,” Makoto told him sternly, causing him to look at her in shock.

“Wait, you know?” Akira muttered as he looked at her in shame.

“Yeah, and your trick isn’t going to work on me. So what’s really going on?” Makoto said, still looking at him sternly.

Akira sighed, leave it to Makoto to see through him and get straight to the point at that.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he stammered as he pulled his knees close to himself to curl up.

“You don’t really have a choice anymore. Ryuji’s a mess because of you, he hates himself for what you did to him, thinks it’s all his fault,” Makoto explained, causing tears to well up in Akira’s eyes as he started crying.

“I…no…that was not what I wanted…” Akira managed to say through his tears as Makoto put her arm around him.

“Then what did you want Akira? Why are you pushing Ryuji, and the rest of us, away?” she asked.

“I…I just don’t want you guys to see me like this…I’m your leader, I’m supposed to be strong, but I…I’m a mess Makoto…” Akira muttered, barely able to talk in-between his tears as Makoto awkwardly hugged him.

Akira appreciated her effort, Makoto wasn’t much of a hugger but she was still making an effort for him.

“We’ll still like you, you know? You don’t have to be strong for us, we’re your friends. We can be there for you if you need us to be,” Makoto said to him in a soothing voice as she patted him on the back.

“I’m sorry…” Akira muttered.

“I’m not the one who you should apologize to Akira,” Makoto pointed out, reminding Akira of what he had done to Ryuji as more tears fell from his eyes.

“It’s okay, it’ll be okay Akira, just let it all out,” Makoto told him as she pulled him closer.

Akira let his tears run at that point, no longer bothering to try and hold them back. He needed to let it all out, he had reached his boiling point…He had reached it a long time ago and he could no longer pretend that he was okay. Truth was, he wasn’t okay, and he hadn’t been for a long time.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“What are you thinking about?” Ann asked after he had been lost in his thoughts for a while, looking at him with a look of sincere interest.

“I just effin’ realized that you’re right…”

“Well duh.”

“I mean, me and Kira like never talk to each other Ann. I never tell Kira when I feel like shit ‘cause I don’t want to bother him. Like the stuff with my dad leaving in December, I didn’t tell him that. The only crappy things he knows about me is when I can’t hold my shit together…I always pretend to be fine otherwise,” Ryuji said as he could feel several puzzle pieces slowly fit together.

“Do you think he does that too?” he asked, causing Ann to stare at him before she sighed.

“Yes Ryuji that is your entire problem. You both do that. Everyone knows Akira’s not in a great place right now, but Akira doesn’t talk to anyone. You both don’t,” she told him, sounding slightly frustrated. Ryuji sort of understood why, it must’ve been frustrating for Ann and the others to see him and Akira like that.

“So…you guys knew about Akira?” he asked.

“Yes, everyone knew. No one dared to touch that landmine though…” Ann muttered, looking slightly ashamed.

“We should have, that way you wouldn’t have had to carry the burden on your own. I’m sorry Ryuji, we all are,” she continued sounding a little guilty as she looked away slightly.

“Don’t worry it’s fine Ann, he’s my boyfriend I should take care of him…” Ryuji said before Ann punched him arm causing him to yelp in surprise.

“See you don’t even notice yourself doing it!” she told him, sounding really frustrated again.

“Do what?”

“You already blamed yourself for something we did! And Akira being your boyfriend doesn’t mean that you have to take care of him…”

“But…” Ryuji tried to interrupt Ann, before she shushed him to make it clear she wasn’t finished yet.

“You always put others in front of yourself Ryuji and while it’s admirable, it’s also…It’s going to be your downfall if you keep this up,” she stated, looking at him in a way that reminded him of Makoto. Ann never looked this serious and it worried him a little.

“My downfall?” he asked, not liking the sound of what Ann was saying at all. He wasn’t doing that bad, was he?

“Ryuji, what happens to you when you don’t talk to about your issues?” Ann asked, seemingly trying to get Ryuji to realize something.

“I do that thing, what’s it called? Bottling up? Kawakami told me I do that a lot…” Ryuji muttered causing Ann to nod at him.

“And what happens when you do that?”

“I start feeling more and more shit until I explode or breakdown…Oh…” Ryuji said, suddenly realizing what Ann was getting at.

“That’s why we fought and broke up? Because we both do that?”

“Well that’s what I think anyways. It applies to you at least, doesn’t it?” Ann stated, Ryuji quickly nodding.

“Have you been going to your counseling sessions lately?” she then asked him, to which Ryuji shook his head in shame.

“Why not?”

“I dunno…I just…Since Kawakami found out about us being Phantom Thieves and got more actively involved she always tells me how I should talk ‘bout my freakin’ anxiety and feelings and I just…I just don’t always want to so I come up with excuses not to go…” he admitted, looking embarrassed and completely expecting Ann to get really mad at him.

“I understand Ryuji, but you have to talk to someone. Someone that’s not Akira,” she pointed out and he knew she was right.

“But she always makes me focus on me...But I’m too worried about Akira and then feel really selfish if I focus on my own problems…” Ryuji explained, hoping that Ann would be able to give him some sort of advice.

“It’s not selfish, Ryuji. I believe I told you before that you can’t be there for Akira if you’re a mess yourself. I meant that. You have to fix yourself before you can even try to fix others,” Ann responded causing Ryuji to look down once again.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Makoto held Akira tight until he had stopped crying, the boy finding comfort in her hug as he let it all out. He needed this, he needed someone to give him comfort as he slowly realized he had made a terrible mistake. He shouldn’t have pushed his friends away, he should’ve let them in. Let them help him. Keeping to himself had only made things worse.

“Can you tell me what happened, Akira?” Makoto asked him after he had stopped crying. Akira could sense the reluctance in her voice, but he also knew that he would have to tell someone.

“You mean…about the torture?” he asked quietly as Makoto nodded at him.

“I can’t help but feel that all of this…originates from there,” she told him and Akira couldn’t say that she was wrong. Things had been tough before, he still had the drama with his parents and helping Ryuji out hadn’t been easy, but after the Casino he hadn’t been able to hold himself together like he used to.

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat before he turned towards Makoto telling her about what had happened. How they had beaten him up when he refused to talk, threw water at him, almost drowned him and injected him with several drugs to weaken his mind.

“It was terrible, Makoto…I honestly wanted to die. It hurt so much, like my entire body just hurt…and I still have nightmares…They threatened you guys too, said they’d do to you what they did to me…except worse…if I didn’t give them your identities…” he muttered as tears threatened to fall from his eyes once again.

When he looked at Makoto he saw she was staring at him, the shocked look on her face telling him everything he needed to know before she wrapped her arms around him once more.

“Oh Akira…Why didn’t you tell us?” she whispered, having started crying herself.

“I didn’t want to bother you guys…” he stammered silently, unable to hold back his own tears when he saw Makoto crying.

“You’re not a bother you…you fool! Why didn’t you tell us what they did to you? It’s no wonder you’re a mess if you kept all that to yourself…” Makoto told him after she stopped herself from crying.

“I’m sorry…”

“No, don’t be sorry Akira. Just tell me why. Tell me why you did it?” Makoto asked him, sounding sincere.

Akira sighed, he knew he had to tell Makoto…and Ryuji as well, but he didn’t want to admit what he had done especially now that he started to realize how wrong he was.

“I…I just didn’t want you guys to worry…but I knew you were worrying…so I…I…I thought it would be better if I made you guys hate me…so you wouldn’t worry anymore…” Akira said quietly, looking towards the ground in embarrassment as Makoto looked at him in shock.

“Akira…” she muttered before she looked away, seemingly unable to face him.

“I know it’s wrong now…” he whispered.

“I should slap you, you know? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard coming out of your mouth!” Makoto yelled as she turned back towards him, her eyes filled with angry tears as she shouted at him.

“You can slap me if you want…” he muttered, unsure how to respond before Makoto hugged him again.

“You’re our friend Akira, promise me you’ll tell us next time…Don’t suffer on your own, you don’t have to suffer on your own…” she whispered causing Akira to break down.

“But…but I was always alone…” he stammered, catching Makoto by surprise as she patted his back awkwardly. She had clearly not seen that coming.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It was a lot for Ryuji to take in all at once. He had always lived his life by putting others first, never really caring much about himself, but now Ann was telling him that he shouldn’t. That the reason why he wasn’t improving, and he knew he wasn’t, was because of the thing he liked the most about himself. One of the few things he liked about himself.

“Look Ryuji, I’m not saying that you can’t be there for others. It’s in your nature so you probably can’t change that and you shouldn’t, it’s just…okay to take care of yourself too, you know? You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for others, it’s not healthy…” Ann explained after he was silent for a while, smiling at him in an encouraging way.

“So what you’re saying is that I’m not a selfish jerk if I…if I want to work on my own issues?” he asked, trying to wrap his head around what Ann just told him.

“You’d be the opposite Ryuji,”

“The opposite?”

“Why do you want to get better? What motivates you to work on your issues?” she asked as she looked straight at him.

“Why?” Ryuji muttered, unsure why it was relevant at all. He also wasn’t sure if he wanted to share that, he was kind of embarrassed by his reason…

“Just answer the question Ryuji!”

“Well, um…I uh…y’know I wanna be a better version of myself for my mom…and for you guys!” he whispered as he was blushing fiercely, before something clicked inside of him.

His reason aligned exactly with what Ann had explained to him before.

“And isn’t that a really selfless reason if you think about it? Although I think you just figured that out too,” Ann pointed out as she smiled at his expression.

“Yeah, yeah I think so too!” Ryuji said, feeling strangely at ease for the first time in what had been weeks at this point.

After they had chatted about how Ryuji should deal with his mental problems in the future, Ann turned to him with a serious look on her face.

“Go to him, Ryuji,” she urged him.

“But he kicked me out…” Ryuji muttered, sounding reluctant.

“So? You love him. He loves you! You need to fight for your relationship and show you’re willing to try once more!” Ann pointed out.

“…And how do I do that?” Ryuji asked, he wanted nothing more than make up with Akira but he didn’t have the faintest idea of how to achieve it before he saw Ann clap her hands together.

“Listen carefully Ryuji, this is what we’re going to do…” she told him before explaining her plan to Ryuji who looked at her with wide eyes when she was done.

“You really think it’ll be that easy?” he asked, his voice filled with shock.

“I know it will be,” she smiled before telling Ryuji to get himself cleaned up, they had a lot of work to do if they wanted Ryuji to be ready by tonight.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“You’re not alone anymore though, are you?” they could hear a voice say as they looked towards the stairs, seeing Sojiro standing there.

“I heard commotion upstairs and I just wanted to see how you kids were doing, clearly you’re not doing too well,” he explained before he walked over to them, grabbing a chair as he sat across from Akira.

“Look kid, is this about your parents?” he asked.

“Yeah…” Akira mumbled, causing Makoto and Sojiro to look at him with pity.

“What’s…this thing about your parents?” Makoto asked, but Akira was in no shape to answer. He could barely get a word out as his crying got worse.

“Do you want me to explain it to her?” Sojiro asked, clearing his throat after Akira nodded.

“Akira’s parents got divorced right before he moved here. His mother blames him for the divorce. They appointed me as his guardian because I knew his father when we were younger and agreed to take him in back in the day. I never actually expected it to happen though so imagine my surprise when he showed up on my doorstep because he was on probation…I only ever met the kid as a baby, never seen him since...” Sojiro paused, looking at Akira to make sure he could continue. Continuing when Akira nodded at him.

“I knew his parents and they were never very loving so Akira probably felt alone a lot when he grew up. They had very high standards for him too and I wouldn’t be surprised if his parents disapproved of the boy he became…”

“That’s horrible…” Makoto whispered when Sojiro was done talking, causing Akira to turn towards them.

“For what it’s worth though, you’re like a son to me Akira. I see you like how I see Futaba, especially after everything you’ve done for us and I would happily keep you with me if you don’t want to go back home. I’ll fight for you, you just have to tell us when you feel bad alright?” Sojiro said before Akira could say anything as he felt overwhelmed by his emotions as he threw himself at the older man to hug him, tears streaming down his face.

“Now, now, don’t get all mushy,” Sojiro chuckled before hugging Akira back, telling him things would be okay from now on.

Sojiro went downstairs after he finished comforting Akira, saying the he did have customers to attend to but telling them to call him if they needed anything.

“So…are you feeling any better?” Makoto asked him, sounding unsure as Akira nodded. He actually felt slightly better after admitting everything.

“I think so…” he said, before he realized something.

“Oh my god Ryuji…” he muttered, almost bursting into tears again before Makoto interrupted him.

“Actually…that is part of the reason I am here,” she told Akira with a kind smile.

“What?” he stammered in confusion.

“Ann has been talking to him, and if my calculations are correct he will show up in front of Leblanc within the hour. Do you think you’re up for that?”

“Yes, I want to see him more than anything. I want to explain everything to him…and…” he said before interrupting himself, not sure if he should tell Makoto.

“And…?” she inquired inquisitively.

“And I want to know why he attacked me…He was really scary for a moment Makoto, like he wasn’t Ryuji at all…” he muttered, thinking back about how the other boy had pushed him against the wall. Sure, he had provoked Ryuji but he hadn’t expected a response that violent.

“Sounds like you two have a lot to talk about then,” Makoto said with a smile, before her face turned serious.

“Let’s make sure you’re prepared before he's here,” she told him, causing Akira to sit up straight. They only had an hour left and Akira wanted to make sure that everything was prepared before Ryuji arrived.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji paced in front of Leblanc’s door. Was this really a good idea? What if Akira would just get madder at him?

He looked at the bouquet filled with hyacinths and pink carnations that he was holding, the flowers symbolizing both forgiveness and love. He wanted Akira to forgive him for the things he had said and done. He loved him more than anything in the world and he knew he had to fight for Akira. He wasn’t going to give up and run away anymore.

He jumped up in surprise when he heard the door in front of him open, almost dropping his bouquet on the ground as he was suddenly face to face with Akira.

“Ryuji, what are you doing here?” he asked, his face flushed.

“I came back for you. I need you to freakin’ hear me out and I bought you flowers…Please let me in Akira,” he pleaded as he saw Akira’s mouth drop a little before he wrapped his arms around Ryuji.

The embrace caught Ryuji by surprise, but he loved every second of it.

“I’m sorry, Ryu. I’m sorry for being a jackass…” he muttered before he let go of him, taking Ryuji’s hand to guide him inside.

“I still got you flowers, although they’re a little squished now…” Ryuji muttered as he held out the bouquet causing Akira to smile as he accepted the flowers.

“They’re lovely Ryuji, just like you are…” he said causing Ryuji’s face to turn bright red before Akira’s face turned serious.

“But we need to talk, I owe you an explanation…and I think you owe me one as well…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saving the special bit for the next chapter, but yeah they seem to be at least talking again now and they’re clearly still in love :P I think these boys will be alright :)  
> The Ann/Ryuji part wasn’t as hard to write as the Makoto/Akira part, damn that was tough. I actually legit cried as I wrote it down and had to take a couple of breaks >_>  
> Hope you liked Sojiro’s appearance though, I love to see him as a father figure for Akira so that’s what I went for here, hope you guys like it too :) I also slightly changed his backstory with Akira, but creative changes are allowed aren’t they? :3  
> I also wonder what you guys think of how I wrote the PoV's this time, so please let me know!
> 
> Final chapter of this arc next time around, so I hope you guys are ready!  
> Also to celebrate reaching the halfway point I posted the upcoming arc names on my tumblr. Together with the chapter teaser I posted a while back you should be able to put some pieces together as to where I’m going with this!  
> http://raindene.tumblr.com/post/166813866427/another-teaser
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, leave a kudo/comment/whatever, and join me next time for more story :3 (Also my opening note is longer than my end note, what is this magic O_O)


	14. Listen To Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both guys were crying because they loved the other so much and they both felt the same thing. That they hadn’t been there for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the final part of this arc. Will Ryuji and Akira finally find peace together or will their conversation blow up in their face? Let’s find out shall we! xP  
> It’s a bit on the short side again, but I wanted the conclusion to be meaningful so I didn’t drag it out :P

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

After sitting down side-by-side on Akira’s bed both boys stared at each other awkwardly for what felt like an eternity before they both started talking at the same time.

“Ryuji, look…”

“Akira, listen…”

Both of them went silent when they realized the other was about to say something.

“You go first,” Ryuji said as he gently put his hand on the other boy’s shoulder.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, go for it man,” Ryuji smiled.

“I’m really sorry, Ryu. I know I broke your heart yesterday and I know I can never take the things I said back but I love you. I really do love you and I lied when I said I wanted you to go…I didn’t want you to go, I don’t ever want you to go,” Akira muttered as he looked away from Ryuji.

“I’m glad…” Ryuji whispered softly before he remembered what Ann said to him. He needed to properly communicate with Akira, they couldn’t continue like this.

“Why did you say it then?” Ryuji asked, causing Akira to look at him in surprise.

“Do you really wanna know?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Yeah man, I really do. After talking to Ann I realize we never really talk anymore and it effin’ sucks dude. We should really just tell each other what’s up…if that makes sense…” Ryuji explained, although he quickly realized how insecure he sounded. What if Akira disapproved? Would they immediately start fighting again?

“I guess that makes sense, although I want you to promise me something,” Akira responded causing Ryuji to look at him in surprise.

“What do you need me to promise?”

“That you won’t hate me for what I did…” Akira whispered quietly, causing Ryuji to dread what Akira was about to tell him.

“I guess I promise,” he said carefully, causing Akira to throw him a tiny smile before he sighed.

“I tried to get you to hate me Ryuji. Everything I said to you yesterday, no since the last night we spent together, was just me trying to push you away. I couldn’t deal with the fact that you were worried about me, it didn’t feel right. I wanted…I wanted to be strong for you, all of you…and I couldn’t, so I figured the next best thing was to get you guys to give up on me…” Akira explained before he started sobbing.

Ryuji wanted to wrap his arm around Akira, he did, but he had trouble wrapping his mind around what he had just been told.

“So…all the things you said to me…The snarky comments, everything was just to upset me…?” he muttered before he looked at Akira, the other boy tearfully nodding at him.

Ryuji felt his heart sink in his chest, Akira did really purposefully try to hurt him…Could he forgive that? Could he be with someone who had done that to him?

“I’m sorry, Ryu. I truly am,” Akira whispered.

“I know you can probably never forgive me, I can never take back what I did. I just wanted you to know the truth…”

All Ryuji wanted was to be angry, to scream at Akira for having hurt him, but he understood. He understood why the other boy had done what he did. It had been his way of protecting him, Ryuji thought before he wrapped his arms around Akira.

“I forgive you man, I do…” he whispered as he let his own tears fall from his eyes.

“You do…?”

“I want to be mad at you, I really do, but I can’t...Not after everything you’ve been through,” Ryuji explained as he pulled his boyfriend close.

“Do you still want me to go?” Ryuji whispered to Akira, referencing to what the other boy had said to him the day before. That had really stung and Ryuji could vividly remember it.

“I’m sorry I ever said that…” Akira responded before he relaxed in Ryuji’s embrace.

Ryuji couldn’t help himself when he kissed Akira’s forehead causing the other boy to look at him with a tearful look on his face. He was smiling though, smiling through his tears as Ryuji could see the Akira he loved once again.

“There’s still a lot we should talk about,” Akira muttered before Ryuji cut him off with a kiss.

“I know, I just really missed you…” Ryuji said after breaking away from Akira before the other boy leaned back in.

“I missed you too.”

They kissed for a while, before Akira gently grabbed Ryuji’s arm to get them to stop.

“Wait Ryuji, we’re doing it again…”

“Doing what?” Ryuji asked, sounding confused.

“Weren’t we going to talk? If we keep this up…we won’t talk,” Akira pointed out, causing the other boy to lean back with a thoughtful look on his face.

“I guess you’re right…” he muttered, realizing that Akira was right. They really did need to talk.

* * *

“So…” Akira said after it had been quiet for a while.

“Oh…I guess it’s my turn now,” Ryuji muttered, he had sort of expected there to be more to Akira’s story, but he could pretty much fit all the pieces together when he thought about it. Akira had already told him about what happened during the interrogation and now that he had explained why he had been acting horrible to Ryuji everything made sense.

“Well you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want…” Akira said after Ryuji had been quiet for a while. He really had to stop getting distracted by his own thoughts.

“No it’s fine, I was just thinking ‘bout how the way you acted finally makes sense now…” Ryuji said before he cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry too…for pushing you back in the way I did. I knew you were provoking me, but I shouldn’t have reacted as violently as I did…” he muttered as he looked down. He hated thinking about what he had done the way before and it made him afraid, afraid he was going to turn out like his dad.

“I should’ve honestly never provoked you like that…but can I ask you something?” Akira asked as he lifted Ryuji’s face up to face him.

“Yeah…”

“Why did you do it?”

“It’s…about my dad…” Ryuji muttered before he started crying.

He hadn’t realized how much he had missed Akira until the other boy wrapped his arm around him as a way to comfort him.

“What is it about your dad?” he asked, his voice sounding calm and soothing.

“This is the week where he left me…me and my mom,” Ryuji explained in-between his sobs.

“I had no idea Ryuji…Why didn’t you tell me?” Akira asked.

“I didn’t wanna be a bother…and you were kind of a jerk y’know?” Ryuji pointed out, chuckling between his sobs when he said the latter part of his sentence.

“Fair enough,” Akira agreed as he pulled Ryuji close.

“I’m afraid though…” Ryuji muttered in Akira’s chest.

“What are you afraid of Ryu?”

“That I’m turning into him…” Ryuji stammered before he started crying again. He did not want to turn into his dad. He did not want to be like that.

“Why would you say that?” Akira asked him, sounding concerned.

“I…I attacked you Akira…” Ryuji cried as he broke down, Akira hugging him even tighter before he started crying himself.

“Why…why are you crying?” Ryuji asked when he heard Akira sobbing through his own sobs.

“Because I…I wasn’t there for you when you needed me Ryu,” Akira explained.

“You had a lot on your mind though,” Ryuji tried to argue before Akira interrupted him.

“That’s no excuse, you needed me and I wasn’t there.”

“You’re here now…”

“That’s not enough, now is it?”

Ryuji stared at Akira after he said that, his own tear-filled eyes meeting Akira’s. Both guys were crying because they loved the other so much and they both felt the same thing. That they hadn’t been there for each other.

It was as if they both realized that at the same moment, when Ryuji felt Akira’s arms wrap around him once more. This time, he returned the embrace losing himself in Akira’s arms as both of them cried. They needed this, they needed each other and they needed to go through this together.

Ryuji would think it was weird afterwards, but at that moment he knew, he knew that he and Akira were meant for each other. They connected through their tears, tears that flowed because of their love for each other. 

“I love you Ryuji Sakamoto and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for hurting you,” Akira whispered through his tears as he pulled Ryuji even closer.

Ryuji knew they had so much more to talk about, so much more to establish, but he wanted to stay like this with Akira. He wanted to stay like this forever as his tears stopped. He loved Akira and nothing could ever change that.

* * *

Eventually Ryuji managed to untangle himself from Akira’s embrace as he readjusted himself. This was too important, they needed to have this talk or they would end up repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

“Akira…what are we going to do now?” Ryuji asked. He didn’t want to ask that question, afraid of the answer, but he knew he had to.

“What do you mean?” Akira inquired, although Ryuji could see he had a knowing look in his eyes. They probably both thought the same thing, Akira was just too afraid to say it.

“Did we break up…?” Ryuji asked, almost choking on the words that came out of his mouth.

“Technically, no…Do you want to break up?” Akira asked, his eyes filling with tears once again.

“No…but…” Ryuji muttered, not sure how to finish his sentence.

“But?”

“We can’t go on like this either, we’re always hurting each other Kira. I don’t want that anymore…” Ryuji explained, trying his hardest to keep himself from getting emotional again.

“I…actually agree with that,” Akira responded, trying to smile at Ryuji.

“I guess we just have to figure out how…how to make things better then,” Ryuji said with a smile.

“We do,” Akira agreed.

“So…what’s next?” Ryuji asked after a brief silence, causing Akira to look up at him.

“I’m trying to think of a good way,” Akira responded, before he seemed to lose himself in his thoughts again causing Ryuji to do the same.

What was the biggest problem he and Akira had? The lack of communication, Ann had been very clear about that and she was definitely right. He figured that he should probably point that out before his thoughts went into a different direction. He started to ponder about the things he had done wrong. He hadn’t been honest with Akira, he hadn’t told him about the stuff that had been eating away at him for weeks. Maybe he should change that? Then again, Ryuji figured that was probably a part of better communication.

What else was there? They only ever really talked when something had happened, other than that they mainly ignored the fact that both of them had serious issues. They should probably change that too. Maybe they could support each other and grow together. Ryuji smiled at that thought, it was a nice one. One that he should definitely share with Akira.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira thought about the problems he and Ryuji had been having. He mainly blamed himself for what happened, but he couldn’t help but feel like Ryuji had played a small part in it as well. Ryuji hadn’t told him the stuff regarding his dad and there was probably more his boyfriend had been hiding from him.

Then again, Akira wasn’t much better. He had concocted up an entire plan to make everyone hate him just so he wouldn’t have to tell Ryuji and his friends how he really felt.

It was a terrible idea in hindsight but Akira just didn’t want to look weak to his friends. He knew they relied on him, he had been their leader ever since the Phantom Thieves were established, and he had helped most of them out with their personal issues. From Haru’s trouble with her dad’s company to Futaba’s inability to function in public, he had helped all of them out at one point or another.

In return all of them told Akira that they would be there for him if he ever needed their support, but he had chickened out when he did. He had seen most of his friends in pretty bad places, but he did not want them to see him like that. Akira was afraid they would judge him for it, see him as less of a person.

What if they didn’t like his weaker side? What if they only hung out with him because he was strong and reliable? Those thoughts plagued him on a daily basis, even before the interrogation had happened, but it had definitely gotten worse after the casino.

Maybe those were the things he should talk to Ryuji about and maybe to the rest of his friends, or at least Makoto, as well. They would probably tell him he was being silly, Akira figured they would, but what if they didn’t?

Akira knew he had to overcome his biggest fear if he wanted his relationship with Ryuji to work. He had to actually be open for once. He had always kept his secrets close to his heart, even after he started dating Ryuji. Sure, he had told him some of the details about his past, but only small details. Ryuji didn’t know the full story, no one did. Although based on what Sojiro had told him earlier Akira had a gnawing suspicion that the older man knew more than he let on.

He had low-key offered to adopt Akira, so he probably realized how bad his home situation really was.

* * *

_It was late at night when Akira heard his phone ring. It had been months since he had left his hometown, he barely even thought about his parents anymore but when he saw the caller ID his heart skipped a beat. It was his mom. Sure their last exchange hadn’t been pleasant but perhaps she was calling him to make things right. She was his mother after all, she had to love him, right? That was what Ryuji claimed anyway. Every mother loved her child unconditionally, that’s what his mom always told him. It had given Akira hope, hope that his mother would want him back after all this time._

_“Mom?” Akira said, unable to hide the hope that was inside his voice._

_“Yes, it’s me. Now listen carefully because this is the last time you’re ever going to hear my voice,” he could hear his mother say. Her voice was cold and distant, even more than the last time he had heard her talk._

_“…What do you mean?” Akira asked, trying to keep himself together as he could feel his heart throb inside his throat._

_“I got a new man, he’s a big-shot lawyer. It’s not entirely legal, but he drew up emancipation papers so we can properly disown you. Your dad and I already signed them, you just have to sign it yourself and you’re no longer our problem. You can go back to the house to pick up your things after your probation ends but we’ve sold it. Don’t worry, you can still go there until like May next year, but after that it’s bye, bye house, and more importantly, bye, bye son I never wanted! That’s right, I never…”_

_Akira turned off the phone before his mom could end her sentence. She wouldn’t care anyways as Akira curled up under his sheets, tears falling from his eyes as he thought about how wrong Ryuji was. Not every mother loved her child, his mom was the living proof of that…_

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was forced out of his thoughts when he heard Akira let out a loud sob, immediately turning towards him as he looked at him in surprise.

“What’s wrong Kira?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I just…I just remembered something bad…” the other boy muttered, tears freely streaming down his cheeks at that point.

“What did you remember?” Ryuji asked as he put his arm around the other boy.

“I didn’t tell you guys something…” Akira stammered before he looked down.

“You can tell me now, Kira. It’ll be fine,” Ryuji said as he smiled at Akira.

Akira looked at him for a moment, before he nodded. Clearing his throat as he seemed to prepare himself for what he was about to reveal.

“I…can actually show you,” Akira muttered before pulling out an envelope from under his bed. Ryuji saw it looked like it was send from a fancy legal company which caught him by surprise.

“What are those?”

“Emancipation papers…”

“What’s that? Sorry I’m not good with legal mumbo jumbo…”

“It basically means I’m on my own. My parents won’t be responsible for me anymore…I mean, I’m 18 in a few months so it’s not a big deal, but…”

“Not a big deal?! What the hell man!” Ryuji interrupted him, his voice filled with anger. This pissed him off, how could Akira’s parents do this to him? He had gone through so much and now they no longer wanted him?

“It’s fine Ryuji…” Akira tried, but Ryuji wouldn’t have any of it. He had seen Akira’s tears, he knew that deep down he wasn’t okay with it…he shouldn’t be.

“If they don’t want you Kira and I cannot fathom why they wouldn’t then I’ll be your family,” Ryuji said as he pulled Akira in for a hug.

“You’re the best and I want you,” Ryuji whispered as Akira started crying again.

“Thanks Ryu…” he muttered before he rested his head on Ryuji’s chest.

“Maybe this isn’t so bad…” Akira whispered after he calmed down, causing Ryuji to look at him in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, telling you what’s bothering me. It actually made me feel better,” he said as he looked up with a smile.

“So you’re saying we should do it more often?” Ryuji asked with a small grin of his own.

“It’s probably for the best,” Akira responded as his smile got wider.

“There’s actually something else I wanted to ask you about, something Ann told me that I can’t wrap my head around,” Ryuji said causing Akira to look at him in confusion.

“What did she say?”

“She said I can’t take care of you if I’m not taking care of myself…What do you think she means?” Ryuji asked. It sounded like a simple thing at face value, but Ryuji hadn’t been able to figure out what she meant, not completely.

Akira looked like he was thinking for a moment before his face lit up, signaling Ryuji that he had indeed figured out what Ann meant.

“I think she means we shouldn’t put each other in front of ourselves,” Akira said thoughtfully as Ryuji realized what he had meant.

“Well, I do always ignore my own problems if I see you’re in pain…” Ryuji muttered, unsure what to do with said realization.

“I do too…” Akira agreed.

“Maybe we should stop doing that?” Ryuji asked Akira, sounding unsure. He wasn’t sure if it was the way to go, it went against everything he instinctively felt. He had never paid attention to his own problems much, preferring to help others instead, but maybe it was time to change that.

“I think we can still be there for each other, but that we shouldn’t lose track of ourselves,” Akira said thoughtfully, although Ryuji didn’t really understand how that would work.

When Akira saw the confusion edged on Ryuji’s face he clarified what he had said by explaining that they could still be there for each other, but that they should strive to work on their own issues too.

“Maybe we should go see Kawakami separately. Whenever we go together we always end up talking about our problems, never about our personal problems and perhaps it’s time we chance that,” Akira suggested.

“I guess we can try that,” Ryuji agreed. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He had only agreed to do counseling sessions because Akira would be with him but perhaps the other boy was right. Perhaps he needed to do this on his own. He did oftentimes not tell the full story when Akira was around, not wanting to worry the other boy and if he wasn’t there he could tell Kawakami the full story.

“We should also try and rely on our friends more, I guess…” Akira said after they had agreed on making separate appointment with Kawakami.

“They did effin’ get us to talk, didn’t they?” Ryuji agreed as he chuckled.

“Yeah, they probably hate us for being so oblivious…”

“So we’re going to talk to them more then?” Ryuji asked.

“We really should,” Akira agreed.

Normally they would have to ask their friends, but knowing the rest of the Phantom Thieves they would very much welcome this change.

* * *

“There’s one more thing…” Ryuji whispered after they had finished discussed ways to function better as a couple.

“What’s that Ryu?” Akira asked as he smiled kindly at Ryuji. Ryuji had missed that smile. It was nice to have this version of Akira back.

“I miss…our friendship, if that makes sense?” Ryuji muttered as he looked down. It made him feel kind of awkward.

“Ah yeah, you said that before…” Akira responded, sounding a bit…off.

“Sorry if it’s weird…It’s not that I don’t like being your boyfriend, we just don’t do the stuff we used to and I miss that…I miss going to the arcade randomly or just playing games and reading manga. We don’t do that shit anymore. Not without planning it. I know stuff’s been crazy, but you were pretty much my only close male friend and I sometimes miss that…” Ryuji rambled before Akira wrapped his arms around him.

“I’m sorry, Ryu. I’ll try to be your friend again, along with your boyfriend,” Akira told him as he pulled him close.

“Nah, don’t be sorry. I just noticed it…” Ryuji said before Akira pressed his lips on Ryuji’s to interrupt him.

“But it bothers you, doesn’t it? I don’t want you to feel sad,” Akira whispered after he pulled away causing Ryuji to lean in for another kiss.

“Do you want to stay the night Ryu?” Akira asked after they had finished kissing, causing Ryuji to perk up excitedly.

“For real?!” he asked excitedly before Akira nodded at him with a smile.

“Yes!”

“Great, but let’s go out for dinner first. I know you’re probably starving right now and there’s this really good new Ramen place around the corner that I know you’ll like,” Akira said with a smile.

“Wait…why are you treating me?” Ryuji asked, slightly confused. He didn’t mind it, it just seemed very sudden.

“Well, you got me those beautiful flowers Ryuji. I have to pay back the favor somehow,” Akira smiled as he grabbed his coat.

“But you’re not supposed to go outside…” Ryuji muttered after suddenly realizing that.

“Let’s keep it our secret then,” Akira smiled, before he grabbed Ryuji’s arm. What could be the harm, Ryuji figured as he couldn’t help but grin, he missed this. He had missed this so much and things finally seemed okay again.

* * *

When Ryuji woke up the next morning he was glowing brightly as he felt Akira’s arm across his bare-chest. Last night had been amazing. He couldn’t believe they had gone as far as they had, but it felt right somehow. He had always said that he wanted to wait for the perfect time, but in a way, it had been perfect. Akira had been there and that was all that mattered to Ryuji.

He could stay like that forever before he heard the alarm on his phone buzz, causing him to realize that today was a Monday as he immediately sat up, waking up Akira who was still lying next to him.

“Shit, I got to go to school!” Ryuji yelled as Akira laughed.

“Leave it to you to sleep in on a school day,” Akira teased Ryuji who stuck his tongue out.

“Well, that’s kind of your fault isn’t it?” he said with a wink before he rushed out of the bed.

“Mind if I borrow one of your uniforms? Mine’s still at home!” he asked.

“Yeah that’s fine, I don’t use them anyways,” Akira pointed out. Quickly pointing out that he meant it as a joke when he saw Ryuji’s smile falter.

When Ryuji put on the uniform he was overcome by a weird sensation. The uniform smelled like Akira and in a way that meant he was going to bring a piece of Akira with him to school.

“Well I’ll be back later! We’re going to the palace today, right?” Ryuji asked with a smile.

“Yeah, have fun at school today!”

“I never have fun at school, who the eff says that?” Ryuji said as he raised his hands about his head in frustration, causing Akira to laugh at him again.

“See ya soon, Ryu. I love you,” Akira told him as he waved goodbye to him.

“I love you too,” Ryuji said as he quickly made his way down the stairs. He felt proud of himself, he and Akira had finally sorted through their issues and everything would finally be better again now. Nothing could change that, Ryuji was sure of it. 

**End of Arc 2**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww it’s a happy ending, somewhat.  
> This was originally going to include a bit more smut, but I decided against it. I feel like it doesn’t mesh with where I want to take this story right now so while I might imply things here and there, I’m not sure if I’ll explicitly write it. I just don’t want the smut to detract from the storytelling. I’ll probs publish it as a side-story at some point, but right now I’m just really focused on moving this story forward because I got so much cool stuff planned that I want to share with you guys.
> 
> I may do something with the forced emancipation later as well, but I’ll admit it’s a way to force Akira’s parents out of the equation for now. Just grant me a breather on that since I probably didn’t exactly do it in a legal way >_>
> 
> Next chapter we’ll start the interlude, a series of 3 more light-hearted chapters to bridge the gap between this arc and the next one. It’ll wrap up the Shido-plot, will rewrite something that I hated in-game and we’ll get to see the boys celebrate their first Christmas together (before it happens, people who finished P5 will know what it is and seeing what I did with the interrogation, you know I’ll exploit and use that. Yes, I love dropping vague hints).
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and the arc as a whole and that you join me next time ^_^ It’s time for Winter Wonderland and it’ll be fun, that’s for sure :P


	15. Winter Wonderland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are those invitations for the Winter Wonderland Gala?” Ann squealed, unable to hide her excitement.  
> “Winter Wonderland…what now?” Ryuji asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was going to be posted during December but seeing how I quickened my writing pace it’s a bit early now. I hope you enjoy it nevertheless!
> 
> It’ll be a tad different than usual in the sense that this will be mostly light-hearted fluff.  
> So yeah, enjoy! This and the other interlude chapters will also be quite short, since it’ll mainly just be something to advance the timeline without doing another timeskip so keep that in mind. (Then again it's still almost 4k words xD)

**Interlude - December Romance**

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It was the Saturday after he and Akira had made up when Ryuji found himself rushing over to Leblanc like he had the entire week. He had tried to get there early every day. He just wanted to spend as much time as possible with Akira now that everything was alright between them and since they often met with everyone else to discuss their heist their alone time had been really limited. At least by getting to Leblanc early he would be able to spend some time with Akira before the others arrived.

The week had been pretty uneventful, Ann and Haru had poked fun at him when they figured out that he was wearing Akira’s school uniform but it was all light-hearted teasing. Honestly, Ryuji knew he had to return it at one point, but it was just comforting to wear. That way there was a piece of Akira with Ryuji at school every day and it made school easier for him.

When Ryuji entered Leblanc he saw Akira was already waiting for him but instead of the usual happy look, he found the other boy looking worried as he seemed to be focusing on whatever had appeared on his phone.

“What’s wrong Kira?” Ryuji asked, unsure why Akira was looking so worried.

“Check our group chat,” he answered, causing Ryuji to nod before doing so.

> **Haru >** I’m so sorry guys, but could we postpone the palace for today? I could urgently use your assistance with something else.
> 
> **Ann > **Is everything okay Haru?
> 
> **Ryuji > **you okay?
> 
> **Makoto > **Are you okay Haru? Do you require someone to meet you before going to Leblanc?
> 
> **Akira > **What’s wrong?
> 
> **Futaba > **haru?
> 
> **Yusuke > **That sounds troubling Haru, of course we can assist with whatever ails you.
> 
> **Ryuji > **i agree!
> 
> **Makoto > **We’re pretty much on track with the palace exploration anyways.
> 
> **Haru > **Thank you so much everyone, I’ll explain everything soon I promise!

“Shit, I hope Haru’s okay…” Ryuji said as he sat down next to Akira.

“Yeah…So how was your day Ryu?” Akira asked as he leaned against Ryuji’s shoulder.

“Y’know, the same shit as always. Teachers getting mad at me for not studying enough and stuff…I really effin’ try, it’s just hard man and I just get distracted by manga or games…” Ryuji complained.

“You really should take your studies more seriously, Ryu,” Akira pointed out as he gave Ryuji a quick kiss to encourage him.

“I know man, it’s just hard…” Ryuji sighed as he put his arm around Akira.

“Do you want me to help you study?”

“Nah, I mean you’ve got enough on your plate already and you’d also effin’ distract me,” Ryuji admitted. He would love to have study sessions with Akira, but he knew that he would just be distracted by how much he loved him. They’d probably turn study sessions into make-out sessions and Ryuji knew Akira was right, he really should try and focus on his studies more and that would achieve the opposite of what it was supposed to.

“Fair enough, the offer still stands though,” Akira said with a soft smile as they heard people enter the cafe.

“Wow Ryuji, I’m surprised you’re always early nowadays,” Ann pointed out as she sat across from him and Akira.

“It is interesting, Ryuji used to always be late and tardy…” Makoto agreed as she sat down next to Ann.

Akira started to laugh when he saw Ryuji hide his face with his hands, his face having turned red from embarrassment.

* * *

“So what do you guys think that text was about?” Ann asked after they had finished laughing about Ryuji’s bashfulness. Yusuke and Futaba had arrived as well at this point, everyone just waiting for Haru to come in.

It was as if Haru had somehow heard the question considering she entered the café right at that moment holding a small black box. The box was decorated with silver letters saying “Winter Wonderland” causing Ryuji to wonder what was inside.

When Haru saw her friends she quickly moved over to them, sitting down next to Ryuji as she put the box she was holding on the table in front of them.

“Is everything alright Haru?” Makoto asked, sounding concerned, causing the other girl to mysteriously smile at them.

“I am quite alright, sorry if I worried everyone,” she answered, sounding apologetic before Ryuji noticed that Ann hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off the box.

“Is that what I think it is Haru?” she asked, her eyes shining bright with excitement.

“What do you think it is Ann-chan?”

“Are those invitations for the Winter Wonderland Gala?” Ann squealed, unable to hide her excitement.

“Winter Wonderland…what now?” Ryuji asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

“It’s the event of the year, it’s super hard to get tickets for, and I always wanted to go…” Ann said dreamily as she continued looking at the box.

“I was hoping we could all go…” Haru muttered shyly, causing everyone to start talking at once before Makoto told them all to be quiet so that Haru could explain more.

“Me, my dad and the company’s board members always used to go…but considering he passed away most of the board members aren’t attending…I managed to procure these tickets and I was hoping you guys would join me…”

“Of course we will go, right guys?!” Ann exclaimed excitedly after Haru finished her explanation, but everyone else wasn’t as excited.

“I’m not sure…there’ll be tons of people there and I really don’t like that…” Futaba muttered as Yusuke wrapped his arm around her. Even though they were keeping it quiet, even Ryuji had figured out that there was something going on between the two of them at this point.

“If Futaba isn’t going, I’m not going either,” he said, his voice sounding resolute.

“Well…I’m not sure if I’m not going…I’m just really nervous Inari,” Futaba whispered mostly to Yusuke.

‘Well, if you do decide to go I will be by your side to provide you with constant comfort,” Yusuke pointed out, causing the girl to grin.

“I guess we’ll follow through with this quest line then,” Futaba said to Haru with a smile, although she still seemed unsure.

“What about us?” Ryuji asked as he turned to Akira. He wasn’t really keen on going, he didn’t like dressing up…He didn’t even have a proper suit to wear to a fancy gala and he just realized that Akira wasn’t even allowed outside.

“I don’t think I’m allowed to go, Sojiro would probably never let me…” he muttered, before looking down. Seeing Akira like that caused Ryuji to realize that apparently Akira really did want to go. Not that he blamed him, Akira had pretty much been confined to his attic room ever since they had gotten back from the casino. He was only allowed to come to the Diet Building with them when they were going to Shido’s palace but other than that he was supposed to stay inside at all times.

“We should all beg boss to let Akira come with us,” Ryuji stated as Sojiro walked over to them.

“Beg me for what?” he asked with a grin.

“We…uhm…” Ryuji muttered, Sojiro’s sudden appearance taking him by surprise.

“Haru got us tickets to an event that we all wanted to attend together, but Akira technically isn’t allowed outside. We were wondering if you would let us take him. We’ll make sure no one recognizes him,” Makoto explained after it became clear to her that there was no way Ryuji was going to form a proper sentence. She had probably realized the same thing about Akira, that he was starting to hate being locked up.

“Well, as long as you don’t cause any trouble you should all go. You kids deserve a fun night after everything you’ve been through,” Sojiro told them, smiling softly as he walked back to the kitchen area, catching everyone by surprise.

“I guess that’s settled then,” Akira muttered happily, before Haru handed each of them an invitation.

“Wait, it’s tomorrow?!” Ryuji exclaimed after he read the invitation causing everyone to look at him before they looked at Haru.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys earlier, everyone just seemed so busy…” she apologized sheepishly before confirming that it was indeed tomorrow.

“That’s fine Haru, we all got plenty of time to get some good clothes, don’t we guys?” Ann said, looking at the others with a look that Ryuji had only seen when he almost ate the last crepe when they got crepes at the mall. It was Ann’s “you better not ruin this for me" face and everyone quickly realized that they had no choice but to agree.

“I guess we can all go shopping together,” Makoto muttered, being the first one to recover from Ann staring them down, to which everyone quickly agreed.

* * *

It was 7pm on the next day when Ryuji, along with everyone else, entered the hall where the gala was held and the moment he entered he was completely bedazzled by everything that he saw. The entire hall was decorated with silver and white Christmas decorations making it look like they had actually entered some sort of snow landscape. Speaking of snow, the entire floor had been decorated with what looked like fake snow to create a beautiful wintery atmosphere.

There were all sorts of little stalls, each offering Christmas treats and other food from around the world, and Ryuji could even see an ice skating rink on the far end of the hall, making a mental note that he was definitely going to take Akira ice skating.

When he looked at his friends he was surprised by how fancy they all looked, all dressed up in formal clothing. Ann was wearing a strapless glittery red dress, Haru was wearing what looked like a white ball gown laced with silver glitter, Makoto was wearing a tight black dress with glittery accents and Futaba wore what looked like a black pantsuit causing Ryuji to snicker. Leave it to Futaba to not wear a conventional dress to an event like this. Yusuke was wearing a light blue suit as he had his arm protectively wrapped around Futaba, guess he did keep his promise to protect her the entire night. That left Akira and himself, who had decided to get matching suits. They were both wearing black tuxedos with bow-ties, Akira’s being white while his was red, as they held each other’s hand.

After Haru told them to go enjoy themselves, they split up quickly. Futaba and Yusuke went to check out the food stalls, Yusuke muttering something about the amount of free food before they rushed off. Makoto grabbed Akira by the arm, pulling him away to explore the party, leaving Ryuji alone with Ann and Haru.

“Aww, dammit I wanted to go with Akira…” Ryuji pouted, causing Ann to put her arm around him to cheer him up.

“Come on Ryuji, we’ll do something fun and then you can go have fun with Akira later,” she said with a smile, causing him to smile back at her. She was right, he could enjoy the gala with them as well. He hadn’t really hung out with them recently and it was something he had really missed. It was probably the same for Akira and Makoto as well, they had barely seen each other.

“Do you want to go check out the ramen place?” Haru offered, smiling when she saw an excited look show up on Ryuji’s face.

“There’s a ramen place?” he exclaimed excitedly.

“They got 22 different kinds and…” Haru explained before an excited Ryuji interrupted her.

“Yes, yes, we need to go there!” he yelled, causing people to look at him disapprovingly as he quickly decided to quiet down. Ann and Haru just laughed though, causing Ryuji to stick his tongue out as them before he let Haru take them to the ramen stall.

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

“That was the best ramen I have ever tasted,” Ryuji said after he finished his 4th bowl as Haru smiled at him. They had lost Ann a while ago after she realized that there was a section of stalls dedicated to desserts, quickly rushing off to try as much as she possibly could, leaving Haru and Ryuji to stare after her in shock. Haru had given up after her 2nd bowl of Ramen, but Ryuji had kept going. She was glad that she had been able to put a smile on his face.

Haru had noticed that Ryuji and Akira had gone through a tough time and she hated that she hadn’t been able to help them out. It had been Ann and Makoto who fixed it. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was always on the outside. Yusuke and Futaba were off in their own little bubble while both Makoto and Ann were Akira and Ryuji’s closest confidants. It made her feel like she wasn’t a proper part of the Phantom Thieves, not fully, and she had felt like that ever since she joined them.

“Y’know, I actually wanna apologize to you Haru,” Ryuji muttered as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“About what?” Haru asked, surprised. Ryuji had done nothing to apologize for.

“I feel like I should’ve trusted you too when I had a hard time with Akira, you’re just as good of a friend as Ann, y’know? I mean, I know her for an effin’ long time and all, but you’re always really nice to me and I really appreciate your company,” he explained, putting a smile on Haru’s face.

“Thank you Ryuji-kun, I really needed to hear that,” she said, causing Ryuji to look at her with confusion before he giving her a thumbs-up.

“What are you two talking ‘bout?” Ann said as she popped up behind them holding three crepes, handing one to each of them with a smile.

“Nothing, really,” Ryuji said as he thanked Ann for the crepe. Ann raised an eyebrow before smiling.

“Let’s enjoy the rest of the event then!” she said cheerfully.

Haru smiled, perhaps she had been wrong about being on the outside. These guys really enjoyed her company as she felt Ann’s hand around her arm.

“You too, Haru. You’re part of the group now!”

“Thanks Ann-chan,” Haru said as she got up from her seat.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It had been a while since Ryuji had last seen Akira. Everyone around him had started dancing after the food stalls were moved aside to make room for a dance floor. It made sense in a way, the event had been advertised as a gala after all. Both Ann and Haru had offered to dance with him, but he politely declined, causing them to settle for each other as Ryuji sighed. He wouldn’t admit it, but he really wanted to dance with Akira. It would be incredibly romantic and a great way to further cement their status as a couple.

He sighed again before he felt someone put his hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Akira holding out a red rose causing Ryuji to start blushing when he realized their friends had gathered around them as he took the rose from Akira.

“You honestly look like royalty tonight Ryuji, would you honor me with this dance?” he asked as he stretched his hand out. Ryuji handed the rose to Haru before he accepted Akira’s hand.

“It’s like a fairytale…Or like when Mario rescues Peach…” Futaba whispered as the rest of their friends looked on in awe as Akira graciously led Ryuji to the dance floor.

“I’ve never danced before…” Ryuji muttered, suddenly realizing that he had no experience whatsoever.

“Just follow my lead,” Akira whispered as he smiled softly at Ryuji before he started to waltz with him across the dance floor.

Ryuji was surprised by how easy dancing with Akira was as their friends cheered them on before they went back to the dance floor themselves. Most of them did anyways, as Ryuji and Akira noticed Makoto standing by herself. She looked a tad lonely before Ryuji noticed Ann and Haru moving over to her. They offered Makoto to dance with the two of them which she gladly accepted. The three girls looking happy together.

Ryuji smiled at the fact that all his friends were enjoying themselves, momentarily distracting him, before he tripped over his own feet, almost falling before Akira caught him.

“Careful Ryu, don’t want you to fall over,” Akira whispered as glittery white snow started to fall all around them.

It seemed like the people in charge of the event had created a way to simulate fake snow falling down as everyone looked around in awe before they continued dancing. Ryuji knew it was just white glitter that was falling down on them, but he pressed his body against Akira’s as he let himself enjoy the moment. It felt incredibly romantic, dancing together in the fake snow as Akira leaned in to kiss him.

“I’m glad we got to do this, Ryuji,” he whispered as he leaned back before he took a deep breath and lifted Ryuji into the air. Catching an awestruck Ryuji by surprise.

“Wait, you can do that,” Ryuji muttered after Akira put him back down, causing Akira to smile at him.

“You’re not the only one who went to the gym, you know?” he pointed out as their friends all started cheering them on, much to the ire of the other guests.

They continued dancing for a while afterwards until they decided to rejoin their friends at the edge of the dance floor.

“You guys looked so dreamy together,” Haru chimed as everyone else agreed causing Ryuji’s face to turn bright red as the others started laughing.

When Ryuji turned to Akira he quickly realized that the other boy’s face had gotten flushed as well.

“Seriously though, I didn’t know you could dance like that Akira,” Makoto pointed out, causing Akira to grin sheepishly.

“I guess I’m just naturally gifted,” he said with confidence, but everyone quickly realized there was more to that story and after some prodding Akira admitted that his parents made him take dancing classes when he was younger.

“That’s so cute,” Ann said, causing Akira’s face to turn even redder.

“Well, I liked it. Maybe we can dance more often?” Ryuji asked Akira, trying to save him from further embarrassment but the only thing that did was intensifying the red color on Akira’s face.

“I…uh…sure,” he muttered, sounding uncharacteristically bashful while the others laughed.

* * *

“Thanks guys, I really needed this,” Akira said after regaining his composure.

“It sucks being cooped up in that attic while you guys are always out and about. I mean, you visit a lot and all, but not being allowed to go outside really sucks. I’m even starting to miss going to school,” he explained after everyone looked at him with confusion.

“Aww man, we’re glad you’re with us too!” Ryuji said as he elbowed Akira, before the others forced them into a group hug.

It made Ryuji really happy. It had been an amazing night and even though he hadn’t been able to go ice skating with Akira like he wanted, he had a lot of fun. He was able to hang out with Ann and Haru and the dancing with Akira afterwards was icing on the cake.

It inspired him with confidence, with their team morale being this high, there’s no way anything could go wrong during the heist.

* * *

Everything around them seemed to explode after they had beaten Shido. This wasn’t supposed to happen, Morgana unnecessarily pointed out, as the Phantom Thieves frantically ran through the ship to find a way to escape.

“No, no, no I don’t want to die, I don’t know how to swim” Ryuji could hear Futaba panic as they made their way to the front deck.

They were surrounded by water, the only way they could get away was by using the lifeboat on the other end of the deck.

“We just gotta get there!” Ryuji pointed out before he was interrupted by Yusuke, telling him that it was way too far.

“We won’t reach it in time,” Yusuke said, his voice filled with panic even though he tried to retain his composure.

Ryuji looked around his friends for his moments before closing his eyes. He was the only one who had any chance of getting to the boat in time. He was their fastest runner by far, he could get to the other side before the ship exploded, he just knew it.

“I got this,” he said, sounding confident.

“Huh?” Ann responded, sounding confused.

“Hang tight! I’ll grab the boat!” Ryuji said as he jumped down on the deck.

“Ryuji!” she tried to reason with him, but he had made up his mind.

“It’s now or never. Here goes!” he muttered, mostly to himself before he ran towards the lifeboat on the other side the ship exploding around him as he jumped over the water that separated him from the boat.

“Ryuji!”

“Go!!!”

He could hear his friends cheer him on as he made his way to the switch, forcing himself to jump one more time as he managed to grab a hold of the lever that could lower the boat.

* * *

Ryuji saw the lifeboat lower in front of his friends after he had lowered the lever, sadly looking at them when he realized his own situation. There was no way he could make it back in time. He saw Ann look at him, a look of concern across her face as he responded in the only way he knew how. By giving her and the rest of his friends a thumbs-up when he saw them get in and start the boat. He knew they would try to get to him, but there was no way they would be there on time. 

"Guess this is it for me, huh," he muttered to himself before he closed his eyes. At least he had been able to save his friends.

“Hang on!” Akira yelled, causing Ryuji to open his eyes to look at his friends one more time as the rest of the ship exploded around him.

The last thing he saw being the looks of anxiety on his friends’ faces before he was engulfed by the flames… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who noticed the gym callback to one of my previous chapters. It’s the exact same thing Ryuji told Akira :P Other than that, I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. It was different to write considering it was mostly fluff, but it was a nice change of pace :P  
> I did lie about no angst cause I’m a terrible human being who loves cliffhangers :3  
> Then again, this was pretty much taken entirely from the game…However! Considering I changed a lot of stuff already, who knows what’s gonna happen next? :O 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it as always. Leave a kudo/comment/comment on tumblr if you want and join me next time to see what happens!  
> http://raindene.tumblr.com/


	16. Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira dropped to his knees when the realization finally hit him. Ryuji, his Ryu, was gone. He would never come back and it was all his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picking up right where we ended last time. Normally I’d write more here, but let’s just see what happens next :P This is my shortest chapter (only 'bout 2k words) ever, btw. I should’ve probably added this on top of the last one >.> It’s interlude though, so it’s allowed >.<

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

When Ryuji opened his eyes he found himself on a pirate ship.

“Finally awake, matey?”

Ryuji jumped up, startled from his Persona standing on front of him. He had communicated with him before, but that was just inside his head. Right now Captain Kidd was standing right in front of him, in corporeal form, and it caught Ryuji off-guard causing him to wonder where he was.

“No need to be afraid, I’m always watching you know?” Kidd pointed out, before he started laughing.

“So…this is your ship?” Ryuji asked, still unsure what the heck was going on. 

“Indeed, this beauty is the Adventure Galley. She’s my most prized possession,” the skeleton explained proudly.

“Am…I dead?” Ryuji whispered. He was really afraid to ask the question but it was the only thing that made sense to him at this point.

“Not exactly. I would say you’re in a state of limbo. I was able to bring you here when the Palace collapsed, but it is up to whether you want to go back or not,” the skeleton explained.

“It’s my choice?” Ryuji repeated, as things slowly started to make sense to him.

“You can stay here and sail the seas with me as my first mate or you can go back and return to the life you used to despise. I know everything about you kid, so tell me. What is it going to be?”

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

“No way…” Ann muttered after they reappeared outside of the Diet Building.

“He…he didn’t make it out…” Haru stammered as tears started to well up inside her eyes.

Ann frantically looked around, Ryuji had to be here somewhere. This had to be some kind of joke. They had never lost someone. Sure, Akechi had sacrificed himself for them earlier but that was different and while a part of her felt bad about that it was nothing compared to what she felt now.

“Ryuji…” she muttered, before she let the tears flow from her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Not after everything they’ve been through. Ryuji was her best friend and she could not bear the thought of losing him again…except that this time, that loss was permanent.

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

Haru tried her hardest to focus, Ryuji had to be out there somewhere and if she broke down now there was no way she could find him. She looked over to the others and saw that both Futaba and Ann had seemingly lost hope already, they were both a crying mess and that meant they would no longer be able to contribute to the search.

“That idiot…” Haru could hear Morgana mutter. The cat seemed shocked and from the evenings they had spent together, which were a lot lately, Haru had learned that Morgana had grown to care about Ryuji. They still annoyed each other, but something had definitely changed between the two of them.

“Mona-chan, do you think there’s any way Ryuji could have survived?” Haru whispered, hoping that the others couldn’t hear them talk.

“Statistically speaking, the changes are pretty much impossible. The palace collapsed and if Ryuji was still inside then…” Morgana explained, unable to finish his explanation as he looked to the ground. If a cat could look like he was crying, Morgana was definitely looking like that now.

“No way…” Haru muttered as she felt the remaining ounces of hope leave her body. Ryuji was really gone, wasn’t he?

* * *

**Makoto Niijima**

Makoto looked around. Unlike the others, she had been able to stay calm throughout all of this. Someone had to, especially considering the state her friends were in. Yusuke had moved over to Futaba and they were both consumed by their grief. Neither of them had been particularly close to Ryuji and they were both talking about how much they regretted that. It only seemed to make them feel worse though as they had both dropped to the ground, crying. Ann and Haru weren’t faring much better. The two of them breaking down made sense to Makoto though, seeing how close they were to Ryuji, but crying wasn’t going to bring him back. They had to move forward, for his sake.

It wasn’t like she wasn’t upset. She could not believe this had actually happened. They all knew of the dangers associated with the Metaverse, but no one had ever gotten seriously hurt before.

Ryuji had though, he hadn’t made it out and deep down it was breaking Makoto up inside. She was their tactician, if only she had done something, if only she had planned out the heist better, this could’ve been prevented but she knew she couldn’t start thinking like that as she looked over to Akira.

Akira hadn’t said a word even since they had left the Palace. The only thing he had done was stare in front of him with a blank look on his face. Makoto feared he was in a state of shock, the loss of Ryuji being the trigger that had finally sent him over the edge.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira dropped to his knees when the realization finally hit him. Ryuji, his Ryu, was gone. He would never come back and it was all his fault. If he had never dragged Ryuji into the Phantom Thief business he would still be alive. Akira felt like he should have done more, should have gone with him, there had to have been some way to prevent this from happening. But he hadn’t, and now Ryuji had paid the ultimate price. He had sacrificed himself because Akira was an incompetent leader.

“We have to go back!” he yelled, his voice sounding hollow.

“We have to look for him, we have to find Ryu…we have to…” he muttered before he broke down into tears as Makoto rushed to his side. Akira didn’t care anymore about blowing his cover, without Ryuji there was no point to anything.

“He’s gone Akira, there’s no point…” she whispered as she put her hand on his shoulder.

“No…he can’t be…” Akira whispered as the rest of his friends gathered around them. Everyone except Makoto uncontrollably sobbing at this point.

“Damn…I never expected to make it out of that,” Akira could hear a familiar voice say. He looked up in surprise, along with the rest of his friends, looking towards the direction where the voice came from, before seeing a blonde boy limping towards them. His clothes looked badly burned and he looked like he could barely walk but he was there.

“Yo,” he said as he waved to his friends as he almost fell over, causing Akira and the others to rush over to his side. Akira tackling him to the ground in a hug as the rest of their friends piled on top of them.

“For real?! You guys act like I died or something…” Ryuji said before he started coughing, causing everyone to wipe away their tears. Ryuji was still with them, he was still alive, and it was nothing short of a miracle.

“Ryuji…” Ann muttered, still trying really hard to wipe away her tears.

“What?”

“I’m just glad you’re back,” she sniffled before Akira let go of Ryuji so Ann could hug him as well.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was more than a little confused by all the sudden affection, but he was glad he had made the choice he made, thinking back to the conversation with his Persona.

_“You’re effin’ right Captain…I did hate my life. It was honestly pretty shit so far, but things are finally starting to look up. I got my friends. Ann, Haru, Makoto, Futaba, Yusuke…even Morgana, they all want me around. Then there’s Akira…and he’s like the love of my life. I can’t leave him yet, not like this and while I’d love to sail with you…It’ll have to wait,” Ryuji explained, having made his decision._

_To his surprise, Kidd smiled at him._

_“I didn’t expect anything less,” Ryuji could hear the skeleton say before everything around him got blurry as he felt his consciousness fade._

_“Don’t forget to visit me at night, matey,” was the last thing Ryuji heard before his vision faded to black as he wondered what his Persona meant. He had never been able to access this place before, but did that mean there was a way?_

* * *

Ryuji and his friends had gone back to Leblanc afterwards to treat their wounds. Besides, they wanted to celebrate their victory.

When they entered the café they were greeted by Sae, Kawakami and Sojiro. The three of them had prepared several kinds of delicious looking food to celebrate the kids' their return, pointing out that they never doubted their success.

“How’d it go?” Kawakami asked, eying Ryuji worriedly when she saw his singed clothing, as they sat down.

Akira and Makoto explained what had happened, leaving out the part where Ryuji almost died, as Sae and Sojiro handed plates with food to everyone.

“So, what happens now?” Sae asked after they had finished explaining.

“We just wait and hope we triggered a change of heart, that’s all we can do at this point…” Makoto pointed out.

“Still, we did what we could and that’s what matters right?!” Ann cheered as she raised her glass to raise everyone’s spirits.

Ryuji lifted his own glass in the air to join her as he let out a cheer himself, everyone soon following suit as they started cheering themselves.

Everyone happily ate their food and chatted afterwards, laughing and joking around with each other.

“I…I actually want to tell you guys something…” Futaba muttered after people finally quieted down, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

“Are you sure you want to tell them?” Yusuke asked, sounding protective of the younger girl.

“Yes Inari, if that’s okay with you?” Futaba responded as the blue-haired guy nodded at her.

“It’s fine, you’re the one who wanted to keep it a secret…”

“I just didn’t want them to know in case I failed my epic questline,” Futaba muttered, having started blushing slightly.

“Oooh, Futaba-chan, I really want to know now!” Haru said excitedly.

“Alright…well, I’ve decided to go back to high school and Inari helped me prepare…I’m going to join him at Kosei next year. They’ve got a really interesting IT program there and I got a letter a couple of days ago to tell me I was accepted. I was really happy…” Futaba explained, everyone cheering her on once she finished her explanation.

“That’s awesome Futaba!” Ryuji yelled as pumped his fist into the air.

“So wait, you guys aren’t dating?” Ann asked, causing Futaba to start blush fiercely.

“Jackpot!” Ann grinned, much to Futaba’s embarrassment.

“You guys knew?” Yusuke asked with an astounded look on his face.

“But…we were really subtle,” Futaba muttered, causing everyone to laugh.

“Even Ryuji knew, you guys,” Haru pointed out through her laughter causing Ryuji to look at her with an exasperated look on his face.

“What do you mean even Ryuji knew?” he asked, finding himself smiling even though he tried his hardest to look annoyed.

“Well, it took you months to figure out I was into you…” Akira pointed out, laughing sheepishly as he patted Ryuji on the back.

“It’s fine, we still love you anyway,” Makoto joked, causing everyone to laugh.

“For real?! Why’s everyone turning on me now?” Ryuji shouted before he started laughing himself, knowing that they were right. Ryuji could be pretty dense sometimes but he had gotten better over time. He generally knew when people were bothered by something nowadays as he tried to evaluate them using his own experiences. That didn’t mean he had changed completely, he often still completely missed the point much to his friend’s amusement, but at least he was making progress!

“You know we just like teasing you Ryu,” Akira said as he leaned in to kiss him on the cheek causing Ryuji to start blushing as he felt tears prick in the back of his eyes.

“Thanks guys…” Ryuji muttered as he wiped his eyes.

“For what?” Ann asked softly, as everyone turned towards Ryuji.

“For being my friends, I was effin’ lonely before I met all of you…and you made my life so much better! So thank you. All of you!” he explained with a smile on his face before the rest of the Phantom Thieves threw themselves at Ryuji for another group hug. All of them telling Ryuji how grateful they were for his friendship as well. They told him he was kind, had a big heart and always helped all of them out and that they were glad to have someone like him in their lives and for the first time, Ryuji actually believed it.

Ryuji was happy and there was nothing in the world that could ruin that… _or was there?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s no way I would’ve actually killed Ryuji off, but I hope I was able to keep you guys on your toes for the first part. I think I was able to justify my drama/suspense tag at any rate xD  
> I’ve also officially started foreshadowing future events, hope you were able to figure those out :3  
> Also I hated how they beat him up in the game, so instead I made them tackle him to the ground in a group-hug like fashion. I hope everyone enjoys that improvement :P  
> And yes, Yusuke and Futaba are a couple as well. I think I built that up slowly over the last couple of chapters, but I decided to make it official here. Everyone will find someone eventually, but that’s still in the far future so let’s not focus on that for now.
> 
> Also I went for a happy ending this time. I honestly actually could’ve ended the fic here, but we’re going to continue on.
> 
> Next chapter will be set after they deal with Yaldabaoth and while there’s some flashbacks to a certain scene (Velvet Room!!) it’ll mainly deal with the aftermath and set up the next arc.  
> So join me next chapter where we’ll see the interlude come to a shocking conclusion that’ll change Ryuji’s life forever (was that dramatic enough?)!
> 
> As always leave a kudo/comment or message me on tumblr!  
> http://raindene.tumblr.com/


	17. Christmas Eve With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wow, I still can’t believe we defeated a freakin’ god” Ryuji said after he let himself fall on Akira’s bed. He would definitely remember today as the craziest Christmas Eve he had ever experienced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final interlude chapter and the chapter that’s going to set off what happens next. It’s going to be an emotional rollercoaster near the end, so prepare yourself for that. That’s all I’ll say for now xP  
> Well I guess I'll add that I rewrote a lot of scenes from the game for this. Basically the entire Akiryu situation in the Velvet Room gets redone and Sae’s conversation with Akira (where she tells him to go to prison) is written differently considering her involvement. There’s actually a lot of Akira PoV here, so I hope you enjoy to learn about his thoughts ^_^

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“Wow, I still can’t believe we defeated a freakin’ god” Ryuji said after he let himself fall on Akira’s bed. He would definitely remember today as the craziest Christmas Eve he had ever experienced. They had found the source of the Metaverse before Mementos merged with Tokyo, been erased from reality, returned to reality and destroyed a god in the progress. Well it had mostly been Akira in the end, somehow being able to summon a Persona called Satanael, but Ryuji and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had definitely helped too. If it hadn’t been for them weakening the god, Akira would’ve never been able to deliver the final blow.

One would normally consider that a happy ending, they had managed to save the world after all, but it hadn’t been without consequences. The fact that the Metaverse got destroyed meant that Morgana was gone too. Morgana turned out to have been created by someone named Igor, Ryuji didn’t quite understand how that worked, as a way to guide Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Igor’s assistant, Lavenza, had tried to explain everything to them but she really had to rush her explanation since they were had been really pressed for time. The result was that Ryuji barely understood what she had explained to them, but at least Akira, Makoto and Futaba seemed to grasp what was going on and that was enough for him. Ryuji would never admit it, but he would miss Morgana even if the cat hadn’t been a real cat. He was real to him and the others and that’s what counted in the end. They agreed that they would give him a proper ceremony to mourn him after Christmas, that way they could all come to terms with their loss.

Another development had been the fact that Ryuji and the others hadn’t been able to contact their Personas after the Metaverse had been destroyed, which struck him as odd before he shrugged it off. He guessed that losing the Metaverse also meant that whatever powers they had acquired were gone now…including their Persona-usage. He still thought it was odd, considering Kidd had explained to him multiple times that he was a part of him and Ryuji thought it was weird he could just lose that, how can you even lose a part of yourself? That didn’t chance the fact that the app had been deleted from their phones though, so maybe it was really over…Maybe this was like waking up from a dream, having to get back to their regular lives after what had been a crazy year.

And yet, some of the things that had started out in the Metaverse had definitely made his way into his regular life as Ryuji found himself in Akira’s bedroom on Christmas Eve. Ryuji had gotten a text from Akira after everyone had gone their separate ways, asking him if he wanted to spend Christmas Eve together and since his mother was working Ryuji happily agreed. They were going to celebrate Christmas Day with everyone, so Ryuji was happy that he got to spend the night before alone with Akira. It was high time they spend some quality time as a couple after all.

* * *

Ryuji couldn’t help but feel like something was off though. Akira was a quiet person, but he seemed to be exceptionally quiet tonight. He had barely said two words when they ate dinner together and when Ryuji looked at him he realized that Akira seemed to be completely lost in thoughts once more.

“Did you hear what I said?” Ryuji asked, trying his hardest not to sound annoyed. He couldn’t help but feel a tad annoyed though. This was their first Christmas together and Akira was staring off into space for most of it.

“Sorry, what did you say again?” Akira responded, looking away as he blushed slightly.

“I just pointed out how crazy it was we defeated that effin’ god, dude! That’s so freakin’ cool!” he explained excitedly, hoping to get any sort of reaction out of Akira.

“Yeah I guess so…” the other boy responded, his voice sounding hollow, causing Ryuji to realize that he was right, there was definitely something off.

“What’s wrong Kira?” Ryuji asked as he looked at Akira with a serious look on his face. The other boy seemed surprised before he sighed.

“Are you sure you want to know…we’ve been through a lot today and it can definitely wait…” Akira said, obviously trying to change the subject but Ryuji wouldn’t budge. There knew better than that now.

“After what you told me in that Velvet Room of yours Kira, you should know I never could,” Ryuji said as he smiled at his boyfriend, receiving a tiny smile in return.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira felt his heart flutter as he thought back to what he told Ryuji in the Velvet Room. After they had been erased from reality, it had been his job to inspire his friends to start fighting again. Yaldabaoth had managed to break their spirits and they had all but given up, but he had managed to restore their faith one by one. Ryuji, Ryuji had been special though.

_“Where’s Ryuji?” Ann asked after they had reunited with the others. Ann was the final Phantom Thief he had found in the dungeon surrounding the Velvet Room as he could feel his heart fill with dread. Ryuji hadn’t actually been removed from reality completely, had he? They had just gotten him back. Thoughts were racing through Akira’s head before Lavenza turned towards them. Lavenza was revealed to be a combination of Caroline and Justine, explaining that the evil god had split her essence so she wouldn’t remember her true purpose._

_“To find the one you seek, the one that your heart desires, you have to climb the stairs in the back of the dungeon. Yaldabaoth put him away in a special prison as a way to blackmail you, luckily it didn’t get to that…” the attendant explained, causing Akira to steel his resolve._

_“Stay here guys, I’ll go get Ryuji,” he told the others before they could protest. He somehow felt like he had to do this alone as he ran up the stairs, unlocking a door that he hadn’t seen before._

_Akira was shocked by what he saw when he opened the door. Unlike the others, who had worn their regular clothing, Ryuji was wearing a prisoner’s uniform that looked similar to his own as he was tied up to what looked like a cross. He didn’t seem fully conscious, but it was obvious that he was in pain as Akira saw him wince, realizing he was covered in cuts when he took a closer look. Akira rushed over to him, quickly freeing him from the cross as Ryuji blankly stared at him._

_“K-Kira…?” Ryuji stammered, his voice sounding hoarse._

_“Yes, Ryuji. I’m here now. It’s all going to be fine I promise,” Akira whispered before Ryuji started crying._

_“I thought…I thought you were dead…they constantly showed me…constantly showed you dying…told me it was my punishment to see that for…forever man,” Ryuji muttered in-between his sobs as Akira pulled him close, cursing the false god that had done this to his boyfriend. Yaldabaoth would pay, he would be destroyed for what he had done to Ryuji._

_“I’m here Ryuji, don’t worry. I came to get you so we can end this together…” Akira said, but to his surprise Ryuji pulled his knees to his chin as he started shivering._

_“I don’t wanna…” he whispered, sounding like he had lost hope, causing Akira to realize that whatever Yaldabaoth had done to his friends, he had done 10 times worse to Ryuji._

_“Why not?” Akira asked, he wasn’t going to leave without Ryuji, but he had to at least know why the other boy refused to budge._

_“Because…what if you die…or what if someone else dies…? I don’t want to see anyone die…” Ryuji stammered, as he started crying again._

_“No one will die, Ryuji. We’ll all make it out together, I promise…” Akira tried, but Ryuji cut him off._

_“But I died! You know I did! I’m somehow here now, but I don’t effin’ understand why…” he yelled as Akira looked at him in shock._

_“I know…” he whispered quietly as a tear ran down his cheek._

_“But I won’t ever let that happen again, I was devastated when I lost you Ryu but that’s why, that’s why I need you to come with me now. I can’t leave you here to wallow in your despair. We have to sit this ride out together…”_

_Ryuji looked up at him, the light slowly returning to his eyes as he looked at Akira._

_“But I’m scared, Kira…”_

_“I’m scared too, but when you’re around, I’m a little less scared ‘cause I know you got my back. I love you Ryuji Sakamoto, I love you more than anything in the world and I need you by my side…” Akira admitted as he slowly saw a glimmer of hope appearing in Ryuji’s eyes._

_“Do you mean all that?” Ryuji asked, as he tried to look away before Akira gently put his hand on Ryuji’s chin, turning his face back._

_“More than anything in the world,” he said as he kissed him, causing a surge of energy to come from Ryuji as his clothes transformed back to his Phantom Thief attire._

_“Let’s go then, we got some god’s ass to kick!” he yelled, seemingly having returned to his former self as he got back up._

* * *

“What is it? You can tell me Kira,” Ryuji urged, snapping him back to reality. He knew that Ryuji was right, he could tell him anything…he just wasn’t sure if he should. After all, the news that he got wasn’t exactly something that he liked. He just had to do it for everyone’s sake…

_“What’s the leader of the Phantom Thieves doing alone on Christmas Eve?” Akira heard a familiar voice ask him, turning around to see Sae was standing behind him._

_“It’s really been…a long day,” Akira explained as he excused himself. He just wanted to go home, whatever Sae wanted to tell him could wait until the next day. They had invited her, Kawakami and Sojiro to their Christmas party as well, so she could just tell him then._

_“I’m afraid what I have to tell you can’t wait…” Sae told him as she blocked Akira from walking past her, causing him to look at her with an annoyed look on his face._

_“What is it then?” he asked, sounding impatient._

_“It’s about Shido, with the Metaverse gone and his accomplices denying its existence he can’t be tried unless there’s a proper witness. You are that witness Akira…well you or one of your friends,” Sae explained as Akira sighed._

_Somehow he had known this wouldn’t be that easy, and yet it made him feel sad. Why was there always another trial for them? Would this never end? Were they just meant to fight battle after battle without respite?_

_“What do you want me to do?” he asked cautiously, but deep down he knew where Sae was going with this._

_“I need you to turn yourself in, tell them everything you know so that it can be used as testimony against Shido. I know what it means, you’ll be a sent to a juvenile hall due to your record, but it’s the only way to make sure he pays for his crimes…” Sae told him, sounding apologetic._

_“And you asked me, because you knew I wouldn’t let the others take the fall…” Akira deduced. It made sense, Sae probably knew him better than most because of the time she interrogated him. She would know he would never be able to deal with one of his friends taking the blame for him._

_“I did…I’m truly sorry to ask this of you and I will try my hardest to prove your innocence and get you out of there as soon as I can, you just have to trust me,” Sae pleaded._

_“Promise me something,” Akira said as he made up his mind. He knew he had to do this. He was the only one who could. He did not look forward to going back to prison again, but he would probably be treated alright in a juvenile hall so it wasn’t going to be too bad. He would grin and bear it for his friends. He had to._

_“What is it?”_

_“Take care of Ryuji for me. Make sure he doesn’t fall back into his old habits,” Akira whispered as he looked away. It felt embarrassing to ask that of Sae, but he knew he had to ask someone._

_Sae looked at him for a moment before she nodded._

_“I promise that I’ll make sure he’ll be alright, but I think you should be the one to tell him about all of this. Call him tonight, spend Christmas Eve with him and tell him the truth.” Sae told him before she finally let him go home._

_Akira sighed as he pulled out his phone. This was not going to be easy, but Sae was right, as he slowly typed a text message to Ryuji, asking him to spend the night._

“I’m going to turn myself in tomorrow,” Akira whispered quietly.

It took Ryuji a moment to register what Akira was saying before his eyes went wide with shock.

“What the hell, dude!” he yelled. “Why?!”

“It’s complicated, Ryu…Can we not talk about it?” Akira tried, but he quickly realized that wasn’t an option as Ryuji slammed his fist against the wall.

“Like hell we’re not! What the heck is going on dude?”

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Akira was going to turn himself in? Why the hell would he do that, it didn’t make sense at all and Ryuji was going to get to the bottom of this. He had to.

“Kira, please tell me what’s going on…” he pleaded, tears in his eyes, when Akira didn’t respond.

Akira sighed before he threw his arms around Ryuji, pulling him close as Ryuji wrapped his own arms around Akira. They had embraced before, they did so often, but this time it felt different. There was a sense of urgency, a feeling that Ryuji didn’t quite understand, but it made Ryuji dread whatever it was that was about to happen.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Akira asked, letting go off Ryuji after what felt like forever.

“I do, I just want to effin’ understand why you’d do something like that…” Ryuji said as he grabbed Akira’s hand, the other boy smiling softly when he did so.

“They need a witness for Shido’s trial. All the evidence has pretty much been destroyed at this point and…” Akira explained before Ryuji cut him off, realizing where Akira was going with this.

“Let me do it then, you’ve already been to prison! You can’t go back there! I don’t want you to!” Ryuji yelled as he squeezed Akira’s hand tightly.

“It’s fine Ryuji, don’t worry…”

“Don’t say that Kira! It’s not fine, you can’t keep sacrificing yourself for us…it’s not right. It’s effin’ wrong dude! I…I don’t want you to suffer…” he muttered before he burst into tears, no longer able to hold them back as he wrapped his arms around Akira once more.

“Please don’t go, Kira…I can’t be without you,” Ryuji admitted through his tears, before Akira put his hands on Ryuji’s shoulders to calm him down.

“Listen to me, Ryuji,” Akira told him, causing Ryuji to tearfully nod at him.

“I have to be the one that does this. I’m your leader, I’m the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I have the most information and they know who I am so I’m everyone’s best shot. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Akira continued to explain as Ryuji nodded once more.

He wasn’t able to respond, still sobbing as Akira continued his explanation.

“I’ll be fine, Ryuji. I promise you that I’ll be fine and when I get back we can be together. We can be together for real and there won’t be anything to keep us apart. I love you, I love you more than anything,” Akira said before he leaned forward to kiss Ryuji, something Ryuji gladly returned. To his surprise Akira’s lips tasted salty, at first he thought it was because of his own tears before he realized that Akira was crying as well.

* * *

“You don’t want this, do you?” Ryuji asked after they broke away from each other.

“Do you want to hear an honest answer?” Akira responded.

“Yes, more than anything, I just want you to tell me to truth,” Ryuji said, feeling a slight hint of happiness well up inside of him. They were finally able to do this. They were able to confide their deepest secrets to one another in a way that they hadn’t before and it made Ryuji feel like they had overcome a big obstacle. Still, now was not the time to be happy as he saw something show up on Akira’s face that he didn’t see often. A look of fear that worried Ryuji deeply.

“I’m terrified, Ryu. Prison was hell last time and even though I know it won’t be like that, I’m still afraid that it will be.” Akira admitted, his voice sounding soft even though it was filled with dread.

“I…is there anything I can do…?” Ryuji asked, not sure how to respond. He just wanted to take Akira’s fear away, even if it was just for one night. He would do anything.

“Can you stay tonight? That way I’ll have you near me until I have to go…” Akira whispered softly.

“Of course man, I’ll stay for as long as you need me to,” Ryuji responded before he leaned in for another kiss. He loved Akira and if staying with him was going to make him feel better, he would.

“At least this way we can be together till the end,” Akira whispered before kissing Ryuji again.

Ryuji couldn’t help but feel like something was off about Akira though, because even though he enjoyed the kissing, it was like something wasn’t right. Like he was plotting something, but he wouldn’t…would he?

Akira had been honest about everything so far, there’s no way he would plot something behind Ryuji’s back.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

When Akira looked at his phone he realized it was 6am before he looked towards his side, causing him to smile. A peaceful Ryuji had his arm protectively wrapped around Akira’s waist. He was still trying to protect Akira even in his sleep and it made him look adorable.

Akira sighed as he carefully removed Ryuji’s arm, trying his hardest not to wake him up, before he got out of the bed. He hated himself for what he was about to do, as he silently got dressed before sneaking down the stairs. He couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to Ryuji, it would hurt too much, for the both of them. This was better, it was better to leave their relationship on a high note as he silently opened the café’s door before leaving. He would get some breakfast on his way to the Police Station, sighing as he pulled out his phone. 

> **Akira > **Thanks for your help Sae, but I’ll go to the Police Station on my own. You don’t have to take me.

He put his phone back in his pocket after he finished sending the text. Sae probably wouldn’t read it for a couple more hours so that gave Akira plenty of time to turn himself in before the others found out. He just had to trust that they would be able to take care of each other from now on as he turned around one last time. He was going to miss this place, he really was. Leblanc had become like home to him, not even a second home, but an actual home. He would miss Sojiro’s coffee in the morning and Futaba randomly coming in just to spend time with Akira. They had become like his dad and little sister. He would miss Ann, Haru, Makoto and Yusuke, the friends he had grown to care for deeply. He would even miss Kawakami and Sae, who had really supported them after they found out about the group being the Phantom Thieves. And then there was Morgana…Morgana who was no longer with them. Akira regretted not spending a lot of time with him ever since he started dating Ryuji…and now…now he never could. Morgana was gone, having disappeared along with the Metaverse and Akira had never taken the time to properly mourn that loss. He was going to miss Arsene too, he had really enjoyed the conversations he had with his Persona in his mind…and he was going to miss Igor and Lavenza as well. Sure his trips to the Velvet Room hadn’t always been nice, but Igor and Lavenza seemed like decent…beings, he wasn’t sure if they were people, after Yaldabaoth’s lies had been revealed but now he would never know.

Akira took a deep breath as he turned back to face forward, bracing himself as he made his way towards the train station. This would be the last time he could walk around Yongen-Jaya for a while and he made sure to take in the view one more time as he saw the sun rise in the distance, signaling the start of a new day…and a new beginning.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

When Ryuji woke up the next morning he cursed loudly when he noticed Akira was already gone, running down the stairs to try and say goodbye to him. He didn’t even care he was only wearing his boxers, ignoring the stares from his friends when he noticed they were downstairs, seemingly waiting for him.

“Don’t tell me…” Ryuji muttered when he saw the sad looks on their faces. His friends had definitely been crying before Ryuji noticed that Sae, Sojiro and Kawakami were there as well. The three of them having similar sad looks on their faces. It was obvious that they were trying to comfort the rest of the Phantom Thieves but it seemed like they had trouble holding their own emotions in.

“He’s gone…he’s gone Ryuji…” Ann stammered before she threw her arms around him as Ryuji dropped to his knees.

“He…didn’t even say goodbye…” Ryuji muttered in disbelief before he could feel the tears streaming down his face as his heart broke into a thousand pieces. Akira was gone…and Ryuji honestly didn’t know how to bring him back this time…It wasn't supposed to be like this, this was wrong. This was not the happy ending that they were promised...

**End of Interlude**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the end of the Interlude, I told you guys it would end on a bad note. Join me next time for the next arc, titled “Prison”. I have a lot more freedom with that, since there’s barely any game events left so I genuinely hope you guys enjoy the things that are going to happen. Also, tons of foreshadowing again in this chapter as I try to show how dark my writing can (and will) get in the future, but more on that soon! Got an exciting announcement next chapter :3
> 
> As for the chapter itself, Akira and Ryuji finally got over their trust issues with each other…but damn, Akira’s going away for some time now and I sure hope Ryuji is able to hold himself together, especially after the goodbye…or well lack thereof. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the Interlude as a whole and that you’re looking forward to more. Feel free to leave a comment/kudo or send me a message on my tumblr! I'm really curious what you think since we're past the halfway point and there's only 3 arcs left!
> 
> On a small side note, this is actually one of my favorite chapters because it really sets off the rest of the story, but that's just me xP


	18. Missing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was not fair, there was no way this was fair. They had saved the world and now their leader had to go to jail to make sure justice was going to be served. It had left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, but more importantly it made all of them upset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: There’s only 2 arcs left, not 3. Typo’d that in the last chapter >.<
> 
> From this point onward, I no longer will be following game continuity (although I guess I made that clear before), so while some events may still happen, it’ll all be completely original story from here on out! This is also where I’m really going to switch up my narrators, especially for characters that you don’t really know yet, but you’ll see :P  
> Btw, I am aware that the first part of this chapter doesn’t really flow, but I tried the hardest I could >.<
> 
> Also look at the notes below for an exciting announcement!! (Preferably after finishing the chapter of course xP) and if you want to read a thank you note for all your support, check out my tumblr :P

**Arc 3 - Prison**

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

After Ryuji finished getting dressed he rejoined his fellow Phantom Thieves in the café. Everyone, including Sae, Kawakami and Sojiro, had gathered to celebrate Christmas Day together but the mood had pretty much been ruined at this point. Everyone was looking glum, still processing what they had just found out. Unlike Ryuji, Akira hadn’t given any of them a heads-up and when Sae had told them that Akira voluntarily turned himself in everyone had a lot of trouble processing the news, voicing the same kind of thoughts and emotions Ryuji had felt the night before.

This was not fair, there was no way this was fair. They had saved the world and now their leader had to go to jail to make sure justice was going to be served. It had left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, but more importantly it made all of them upset.

“We need to do something,” Makoto stated after everyone had sat in silence for a while.

“What can we possibly do though…?” Ann muttered, echoing everyone’s sentiments as another silence threatened to fall.

“Wait, I think I got an idea…” Futaba suddenly said, perking up with a glimmer of hope in her eyes as everyone turned to look at her, causing her to look a little flustered before she recollected herself.

“The charges that got Akira his record in the first place, they’re false aren’t they? Lies made up by Shido…If we can prove that they’re wrong maybe we can get him out of juvie?” she explained, sounding hopeful as she turned towards Sae hoping that she would know the answer.

“Technically it’s possible. We’ll have to present solid proof to the judge who decided on his sentence but we could probably get the charges against him thrown out. If that happens and Shido’s trial proceeds properly we’ll be able to get him out,” Sae answered.

Ryuji noticed she sounded hesitant, but decided to ignore it as he pumped his fists into the air.

“Sounds like we got a new mission then!” he yelled excitedly as the mood the room seemed to rise, everyone getting up one by one as they agreed to help out.

“Wait a second, how are we going to prove that?” Ann pointed out, causing everyone’s mood to falter momentarily before Futaba spoke up once again causing Ryuji to realize that she seemed to have put an awful lot of thought into this.

“The woman who testified against Akira, if we can find her maybe we can convince her to change her testimony…If she testifies against Shido, wouldn’t that both prove he’s scum and that Akira’s innocent?”

“That could…work, actually. I mean, she’d be in trouble for perjury but I could try and cut her a deal…” Sae said thoughtfully.

“Is…there anything else we can do?” Kawakami asked, sounding sincere and worried. Everyone looked up in surprise, having forgotten she was there in the first place.

“What do you mean?” Sae asked, being the first to speak up.

“I just hate seeing my students inconvenienced like this…but I can’t really help out with that legal business…So I was wondering if there’s anything I can do to help…” Kawakami explained.

“I guess that goes for most of us…” Ann sighed, causing the mood to falter again before Haru spoke up.

“Well, at my father’s company…whenever workers would get disgruntled, they would protest and sometimes that changed things. Perhaps we can do the same thing? Akira touched the hearts of so many people, maybe we can get everyone to band together and write a letter of protest. Tell the police about how he’s a good person and helped change so many lives for the better…”

“That could work actually, that would definitely sway a judge in Akira’s favor,” Sae agreed.

“Wait a judge?” Ryuji asked, sounding more than a little surprised. He had not expected that Akira actually had to go to trial.

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

Everyone else in the room seemed surprised as well, causing Sae to let out a sigh.

“If this goes wrong, if Shido somehow doesn’t get convicted and we can’t find that woman…There is a huge chance that Akira’s case will be taken to court. He’s almost an adult too, so there won’t be any child laws protecting him. He’ll be tried as an adult, for all the crimes that the Phantom Thieves are currently still accused of, and he would be punished accordingly. Now we have to hope it doesn’t come to that and that Shido’s conviction will lead to all those charges being dropped, but if it doesn’t…” Sae explained, stopping herself when she saw the look on everyone else their faces.

Whatever hope they seemed to have felt before slowly seemed to drop once again, causing her to bite her tongue. She hated that she had to confront them with this, but this was the truth she had learnt about in her years as a prosecutor. If the case against Shido went south Akira was in real trouble. He could potentially end up spending the rest of his life in prison…and Sae suspected that that realization was slowly hitting the others now.

She was grateful when she heard Sojiro clear his throat, the older man seemed to have paid close attention to what everyone had said and Sae hoped that he would be able to calm these kids down, considering she had no idea how to.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji couldn’t believe what Sae had explained. He knew it was going to be bad, but he never realized that Akira could spend the rest of his life in jail. That was something that Ryuji had never expected, but after giving it a brief moment of thought he suspected that Akira had known. Akira would have known, he was smart like that.

“Let’s all stay positive for now, we can’t give up hope. That kid would never forgive us if we did,” Sojiro pointed out, causing everyone to look at him as they wiped the tears from their eyes.

Ryuji knew that Sojiro was right, and yet, yet he felt like it was such a tall order. They no longer had the Metaverse to change hearts. They would have to go out and do all the work this time and he didn’t even know where to start.

“We’ll help this time too!” Kawakami chimed in as Sae nodded as well.

“Let’s split up into two groups then, one group will find the mystery woman while the other focuses on bringing everyone together to support Akira,” Makoto suggested, causing everyone to agree.

After discussing it for a while they settled on two groups. The first group, which Futaba had dubbed Team Law, consisted of Sae, Futaba, Makoto and to everyone’s surprise…Ryuji. Ryuji had decided to join after realizing that he had a bigger chance of seeing Akira if he tagged along with them. The second group, Team Protest, consisted of Kawakami, Ann, Haru and Yusuke. Sojiro would make sure both groups would be kept up to date on each other’s process becoming what Futaba dubbed the “Godfather” of the operation.

* * *

**Futaba Sakura**

“Do you have to pace around like that? I can’t focus…” Futaba complained as Ryuji kept pacing through her room. It annoyed her like crazy. She had to focus on finding this woman’s identity and they had very little information to go on. They had spent the past week trying to find out more about her but they hadn’t been very lucky. The fact that Ryuji was driving her nuts definitely wasn't helping either. Normally Makoto would help them out as well, mostly focusing on keeping Ryuji distracted so Futaba could work, but she had to attend some Student Council President business today, leaving Futaba alone with him. It wasn't like she disliked Ryuji either, she loved beating him at video games, but he was being incredibly annoying right now.

“Sorry, I’m just crazy worked up. Really wanna find something to help Kira out!” Ryuji explained before he sat down next to Futaba.

“So how’s it going?” he asked, causing Futaba to look at him with a look of disbelief on his face. He had been here the entire week, he should know how it was going.

“We’re running out of options, you know this Ryuji. I’ve tried to hack into case files, but without a name there’s not much…” Futaba ranted, stopping when she realized the way forward.

“Wait that’s it!” she exclaimed before she started typing rapidly.

“What’s what?” Ryuji asked sounding confused, but Futaba didn’t even bother to answer as she continued to type. How did she not think of that before? She could just hack into Akira’s case files and look up the name of the woman and she had decided to do that right now.

“Medjed’s back, Ryuji,” Futaba said after he kept complaining about that he wanted to know what she was doing, grinning to herself as she said it.

“Miki Ishida,” Futaba said after she finished breaking into the Justice department’s database. She knew it wasn’t legal, but there was no way they could trace it back to her, she had taken care of that, and she knew she had to do this. For Akira’s sake, and Ryuji’s as well. The guy was going crazy and even though Futaba hadn’t been great at expressing her emotions or dealing with them, anyone could see that Ryuji was growing more desperate by the day.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

Ann felt pumped. They would gather all the people Akira had supported and make sure that he was going to be freed, she was sure of it!

“So, what’s next?” Haru asked after she and Yusuke arrived in the diner where Ann was waiting for them as Yusuke seemed to look for something in his bag before he pulled out what looked like a sketchbook.

“I’ve taken it upon myself to draw some inspirational posters to motive people to help us free Akira,” he said before showing him the sketches he made.

They were incredibly impressive to say the least, Ann definitely understood why he was one of the most prestigious art students at Kosei, but she should probably stop this plan before Yusuke went all out and judging from the look Haru send her way the other girl was definitely on her side.

“Those are really…impressive Yusuke, but we probably don’t want to reveal our identities to the public like that. If we’d be caught putting up those posters and handing them out, it’d be obvious we’re the remaining Phantom Thieves. We’re technically still wanted criminals, remember?” Ann explained, trying to gently let Yusuke down who nodded in understanding.

“I just wanted to assist, I hated being unable to do anything…” he said sadly, causing Ann to lose the happy feeling she had felt before.

Yusuke had a point, they really were unable to do anything, they didn’t even really know who Akira had helped in the past. They didn’t know who his confidants where outside of the Phantom Thieves…and Ann honestly had no idea how to find that out. She sighed as she prepared herself for another session with Yusuke and Haru, as they desperately tried to find a way to feel useful, but she couldn’t deny that desperation was slowly grabbing a hold of the three of them.

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

“What do you mean I can’t see him?” Sae shouted through the telephone at this point. She was beyond frustrated, it had taken her forever to find out where Akira was being held captive and now she wasn’t allowed to see him.

“Don’t I have a right to see him as the lead prosecutor on the Shido case?” she argued after she was met by silence. She had managed to get herself assigned to the Shido case, it was her way of making sure that Akira hopefully wouldn’t go to trial and he was her key-witness so she figured that would get her access to Akira. She figured it was a two-birds with one stone situation, but slowly realized that she was wrong.

“I’m sorry Niijima-san, but he’s a dangerous criminal and he’s in solitary confinement for a reason. There is nothing we can do to help you,” the attendant on the other side of the phone told her. In a way Sae felt bad for the woman who she was talking to, but she couldn’t falter now.

“He’s my key-witness. I need to be able to talk to him!”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do. He’s only allowed to meet with his lawyer, but he refuses one. The government will assign one to him if no one steps up to defend him,” the attendant explained.

“Then I’ll represent him!” Sae yelled instinctively, causing her to put her hand over her mouth when she realized what she just blurted out. The attendant couldn’t realize she had a personal interest in that case.

“I do not believe you have the qualifications for that Niijima-san, now if you’ll excuse me I have other manners to attend to,” the attendant stated before she hung up the phone.

“Damn it!” Sae yelled in frustration. This was bad, they really needed to get in touch with Akira because even though they had found out the woman’s identity they had no idea where to look for her.

Sae had hoped that Akira would be able to provide an answer but if they had no way to contact him their chances to find Miki in time were starting get slimmer by the minute.

Things weren’t looking great for the Shido case either. Aside from Akira she didn’t really have a credible witness. Sae had hoped that if they could get Akira’s charges cleared he would seem more sympathetic to the judge. If they could prove that Shido had personally wronged Akira that would strengthen her case, but they needed the Miki’s testimony to do that. Sae hoped that Futaba and Makoto would find some way to get in touch with her without Akira’s help, otherwise Shido’s trial could go south really quick…especially since all the evidence had been wiped away.

* * *

**Sadayo Kawakami**

Kawakami sighed when she entered the teacher’s office. She didn’t look forward to the appeal she was about to give, but she had to do it.

“Do you know how uncalled it is to call on us outside a normal teacher’s meeting Sadayo-san? I had to delay my date…” Chouno complained, causing Kawakami to glare at her.

“Looks like our Sadayo-chan is feisty today,” Ushimaru pointed out with a grin on his face. Kawakami wanted to snap at him, but she knew she couldn’t. She was here on Akira’s behalf and she refused to lose her cool just because one of her colleagues wanted her to.

“I actually called you here because there’s something we must do as teachers. One of our students is in trouble and we should take a stand, together,” she stated, trying her hardest to sound confident. She was a tad nervous about asking her colleagues for help, but if they wrote a joint statement for Akira’s potential trial it would look so much better.

“Oh?” Usami asked, seeming genuinely interested as opposed to the rest of their colleagues.

“One of our students, Akira Kurusu-kun, has been wrongfully sent to a juvenile hall and I was hoping we could all band to draft a statement stating how he’s a wonderful student. He’s never caused trouble in anyone’s class and scored perfect scores in most classes. I’m sure you all agree that…” she explained before she got interrupted.

“That’s enough Sadayo-san, I will not allow it,” the vice-principal said.

“Excuse me?” she responded, perplexed by his response.

“After Kamoshida and Principal Kobayakawa this school has seen enough bad press and now you ask us to aid a criminal? Are you out of your mind?” he said, sounding angry.

“But he’s innocent…” she muttered.

“I do not care, he could be the most innocent person in the world for all I care but we are not supporting your endeavor. We still not release a joint statement. Feel free to put your own career on the line, but keep the rest of your colleagues out of it,” he continued, before the rest of the teachers in the room to back him up as well. Only Miss Usami seemed to agree with Kawakami, but that wasn’t enough as she looked towards the ground. She hoped the others were faring better than she was, because this definitely wasn’t going anywhere.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji sighed when he knocked on the door of Makoto’s apartment. The longer Akira was in jail, the sadder he became. He was aware he was spiraling, but he just couldn’t help it. It really seemed like things were starting to look up when he and Futaba, well mostly Futaba, had found out Miki’s identity but they had quickly hit a dead-end afterwards. They had been unable to find out anything about her, where she lived, how to contact her and it was driving all of them nuts, but hopefully he would get some good news now. He really needed that, trying his hardest to smile at Makoto when she opened the door for him.

“You’re late numbskull,” Futaba teased him, causing him to half-heartedly apologize before he sat down as Makoto handed him a drink.

The air felt tense, everyone looking expectedly at Sae who had called them all here. They would only meet once a week normally but Ryuji knew that Sae had been working on finding a way to visit Akira. Maybe she had called them because she finally did. Maybe he could finally see Akira again, feeling a glimmer of hope as the thought passed through his mind before realizing that something was wrong as he slowly felt his heart feel with dread.

“They refused my request to see Akira, I tried everything but they wouldn’t budge…” Sae explained solemnly, confirming the feeling Ryuji had felt as he could feel tears prick in the back of his eyes, biting his tongue to force them back.

“We didn’t find anything about Miki-san either…” Futaba added silently, sounding sad.

That last tidbit didn’t surprise Ryuji, he had spent a lot of time around her while she was trying to find information on the woman and based on her cursing he knew that she hadn’t been successful.

“So…what do we do now?” Makoto asked, looking down. It seemed to be the question everyone dreaded before Sae turned to them.

“I…don’t know. I need to think. I’m sorry everyone,” she said as she tried to look away from them.

Ryuji had seen the look in her eyes though, the look of someone who had seemingly given up. Knowing he couldn’t keep his tears in for much longer he excused himself as he made his day for the door, he wanted to be alone. He needed to be alone, because this, this was too much for him to process.

* * *

**Makoto Niijima**

Makoto turned to her sister the moment Ryuji and Futaba, who had headed out right after Ryuji to try and catch him, had left their apartment, greatly disturbed by the look she saw on Ryuji’s face.

“I’m worried Sis…” she muttered, causing Sae to wrap her arm around her younger sister to try and comfort her.

“I know Makoto…But I just don’t know if we can do more than this and I know you’ve reached the same confusion,” Sae told her, trying to give her younger sister a comforting smile despite of what they had realized.

“It’s not just Akira I’m worried about…did you see Ryuji? I know he only joined our team to see Akira and I think what you just told him really…really hurt him. He looked like he’s about to give up hope,” Makoto whispered.

Seeing Ryuji like that hurt her, it hurt all of them. Ryuji had always been one of their more cheerful members, but it had almost been 3 weeks since Akira’s arrest and Makoto could see his cheerful personality fade away. She feared that soon there would be nothing left and that Ryuji would give in to his depressed feelings, once again becoming a shell of his himself.

Makoto knew that Ann and the others were worried about that as well, but she had seen Ryuji almost every day for the past weeks and she was afraid of how bad it was going to get if they didn’t do anything.

“I did and I’m worried about him as well,” Sae agreed, seemingly thinking about something.

“If only there was a way we could get Ryuji to see Akira…” Makoto sighed before she looked at Sae in surprise, whose face seemed to light up.

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before!” she said before grabbing a phone, albeit a bit reluctantly.

“What are you going to do?” Makoto asked, sounding surprised.

“Calling who will hopefully be Ryuji’s hero,” Sae responded, causing Makoto to realize what she was doing. It was a risky move for sure, but it seemed like their only option at this point even if she wasn’t too keen on getting another person involved.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It had been another long and tiring day when Ryuji finally decided to lie down on his bed. He was exhausted after everything they had tried today...They had been trying for a couple of weeks now, just to find a way to get Akira out and just when they thought they had finally gotten somewhere, it had blown up in their faces. They were unable to find the woman even after finding out her identity and after the conversation with Sae and the others this afternoon hit Ryuji. What if they wouldn’t be able to get Akira out? What if this was it? What if they would stay separated forever…

That meant…that meant he may never see Akira again. Ryuji hugged his pillow as the tears started streaming down his face…it wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was just wrong, Akira was a hero who saved the world and now he was being treated like a criminal, but there was something that was worse than that. Ryuji would have to miss Akira, he would potentially have to miss Akira for the rest of his life if the trial went wrong…and he couldn’t handle that…he couldn’t handle the idea as he gripped his pillow tighter, allowing himself to slowly give in to his despair…

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

Sae reluctantly dialed Teru’s number on her phone, dreading his response. Not because it would be negative, but well…he would know he had been right all along and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. He had trouble letting things like that slide after all…

“Sae? I’m surprised to hear from you…Any reason why you’re calling at this hour?” she could hear Teru chirp through the phone, sounding different than he usually did.  

“Remember when you came to my office about the Phantom Thieves?” she asked him, trying her hardest to get straight to the point.

“Yeah, you told me to stay out of it,” he said, not bothering to hide the fact that he was not over that, sounding annoyed.

“And then you don’t contact me for like more than a month, not even a Merry Christmas, I thought we were friends…” he complained, revealing another thing that was bothering him. She knew he was right too but she still didn’t like him pointing it out. She had to play nice with him though and well, he did have a point. She probably should’ve at least wished him a Merry Christmas, she knew he had tried. He had left her a couple of voicemails all wishing her a Merry Christmas and asking if she wanted to do something with him since he was alone for Christmas anyways and part of her regretted not calling him back. They had been occupied though and she hoped Teru would understand once he heard the full story.

“You were right, I knew more,” she admitted, hearing Teru cheer through the phone the moment she uttered those words. It seemed like he had let go of being bothered immediately as he sounded like his normal excited self now.

“Their leader, Akira, is in a lot of legal trouble and needs a lawyer. That’s why I’m calling you Teru, as a prosecutor I just don’t have the access I need…” she explained before he interrupted her.

“Say no more Sae! I’ll meet you at your apartment tomorrow morning so we can discuss my new case!” he responded, sounding even more excited than usual as Sae rolled her eyes at his behavior.

“You don’t want more information?” she asked, sounding a bit surprised. She would definitely want more information before accepting a case on the fly, but then again this was Teru she was talking to.

“A champion of justice never turns his back on those who need him Sae! The Phantom Thieves saved Tokyo, now it’s my turn to use my power to save them!” he said proudly, causing Sae to imagine him puffing up his chest before forcing her thoughts to go elsewhere. She did not need to think about how handsome Teru was right now. He was her friend, just her friend from law school and there was no way anything would ever happen between them.

“There’s also something else…” Sae said, thinking back to the state she saw Ryuji in. She had not expected him to take Akira’s situation so bad and she had no idea how to help him at this point, but maybe…just maybe Teru could. Ryuji reminded Sae of a younger Teru so maybe he would be able to get through to him in a way no one else could. She had to try this, she promised Akira she would take care of him.

“Tell me tomorrow, I’ll be able to take it on for sure!” Teru stated before explaining he had to go, hanging up the phone moments later.  

Sae put her phone back in her pocket before she turned to Makoto who had been waiting on her to finish to finish her phone call.

“I did all I could, if anyone can get us, and more importantly Ryuji, access to Akira, it will be Teru…” she said, trying to sound hopeful.

Teru was their only hope to get in touch Akira at this point, Sae just hoped it would be enough to get Ryuji out of his funk before it was too late…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is actually my favorite arc by far, planning-wise. I get to experiment with a lot of new things and this is where we’re starting to properly set things up for a sequel. Because yes, I have been planning one for a while now :P  
> That’s right, the story will continue once we reach the end of this fic!  
> It’ll be huge too, aiming for 30-40 chapters at least in another 5-arc adventure. The genre will be a tad different, but it’ll definitely be a continuation of this so expect to see the same things you see now, except with a slightly different focus and even more new things. I still think you guys will enjoy it though, I hope so at least :P
> 
> I’ll probably start releasing some teasers for it on tumblr soon, so keep your eye out for that! (Just wish I could do art, because then I’d actually be able to release cool teasers, but you know >.>)
> 
> On a more chapter-related note, I did say Teru would become relevant at some point :P He’ll play a big role in the next couple of chapters and I hope you’ll really grow to like him. It also made sense for me to use Sae to do a lot of the story telling here. She’s the only one in the cast that has legal experience so it makes sense for her to have to explain a lot of things. And I used Futaba 'cause I felt like I had neglected her as a character. I will use Yusuke too...eventually, just gotta find his voice if that makes sense >.<
> 
> Also got a question for you guys since there’ll be more variety when it comes to narrators from here on out. Is it already obvious enough who the narrators are, or would you like me to specify it when I change them? I’m not sure if that’ll detract from the reading experience so please let me know what you think!
> 
> At any rate, to end this really long note, I hope you guys will join me next time where we’ll see a lot of things happen as the plot progresses in an unexpected way with a new character joining the group. Will that go well or will it cause even more trouble for our heroes since everything really seems to be going wrong doesn’t it? Find out next time and leave a kudo/comment if you like what you see :P (or as always, message me on tumblr)


	19. Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji had a lot of trouble sleeping, and it wasn’t just with sleeping either, ever since Akira had been away and he could feel his mental health slipping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Teru’s properly reintroduced here, I figured I’d mention that I updated chapter 11 a while ago to age him down to 26. It’ll work better that way xD Oh yeah, also swapped around the chapter titles for 19, 20 and 21 but that’s how planning goes I guess :P  
> There’s definitely a lot of emotional stuff here, especially in the first half. Second half is a bit of a cooldown, but it has heavy undertones and sets up the next 2 chapters quite nicely xP
> 
> Also apologies for the slight delay. I’m generally faster with chapters but I had a couple of essays due and am currently in the middle of figuring out a thesis subject so I’ve been forced to focus less on my writing than I'd like. Chapters updates may be once every 6-8 days for a bit, sorry about that >.<  
> At least the chapter is very long this time around (over 6k words), so enjoy guys!
> 
> Oh yeah, tons of spoilers for the game here. Like really bad ones xD

**Sae Niijima**

“…And that’s basically everything,” Sae said as she took a sip from the water that was standing in front of her before she looked at Teru. He was sitting across from her with a stunned look on his face. Not that she blamed him for that. She had pretty much explained the entire story from the beginning to him, or at least everything that Akira had told her, and he was looking at her in the way she had looked at Akira at the time.

“Wow…” he muttered, seemingly unable to form a sentence as Sae chuckled. Part of her enjoyed seeing Teru at a loss for words for once.

“So you’re telling me that there’s a whole alternate dimension, right next to this one, and that the Phantom Thieves changed the hearts of “evil” adults?” Teru asked, having seemingly recollected himself somewhat.

“That’s correct, although it no longer exists. The Phantom Thieves destroyed the Metaverse on Christmas Eve along with the false god they were fighting against,” Sae clarified as she saw Teru’s eyes glimmer with excitement.

“That’s the coolest thing!” he exclaimed as he jumped up to pump his fists into the air, sitting back down when the realization of how little he actually knew seemed to hit him.

“I think I need a beer though…or five,” he said with a chuckle, causing Sae to playfully glare at him.

“I’m not giving you alcohol Teru, you know why,” she said, sounding resolute as she remembered her friend’s incredibly low alcohol tolerance causing Teru to pout at her.

“But now I am curious Teru, what did you mean when you said the Phantom Thieves saved Tokyo if you didn’t know anything about this?” Sae asked, referring to the conversation they had the night before, causing Teru to rub the back of his head.

“Well uh, I just figured they had something to do with the whole Shido thing…and he was such a threat to Japan that having him gone meant they pretty much saved Tokyo. I just never expected it would be something supernatural like this…So are they really like those heroes on TV?”

“Yes, Teru. They’re like those heroes on TV you love so much,” Sae answered as she let out a sigh, causing Teru to cheer excitedly once again.

Sae momentarily wondered if this was the right choice, Teru did get excited easily, and he was pretty much oozing with excitement at this point, which may not be what they needed right now but before she could mention anything of the sort he recollected himself as he pulled a notebook from his briefcase.

“So let’s get down to business. I need to represent this Akira kid right? Tell me everything I need to know so I can make the necessary calls,” he said using what Sae dubbed his lawyer voice. She rarely heard him use it, especially considering Teru was generally upbeat and easygoing, but she knew that if he did he meant business and that was very good in this case. It was like his job turned him into a completely different person though and sometimes that worried her a little.

“Are you sure you’re up for this then?” she asked just to make sure. She knew how big and messy everything was and part of her did not want to drag Teru into this. Especially since he would give it his all once he got involved.

“I am, I promise that I’ll do everything I can to help out even if it costs me my career,” he said as he bumped his fist against his chest.

“Alright then, well the first thing you need to know…” Sae started her explanation.

Despite her worries, she was happy Teru was onboard and for the first time in forever she actually felt like there was hope once again.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was more than a little surprised when he got a phone call at 8 in the morning. It was a Sunday and, even though he had been awake, he was surprised to see Makoto calling him. She told him that she and her sister were going to pick him up in an hour, so here he was at 9 standing in front of his apartment waiting for Makoto and Sae to arrive.

Ryuji had a lot of trouble sleeping, and it wasn’t just with sleeping either, ever since Akira had been away and he could feel his mental health slipping. He knew he was shutting his friends out and he also knew that he shouldn’t do that. He should lean on them during a time like this, but part of him just didn’t want to. He had tried, but whenever he would talk to Ann or Haru they would always make him talk about how he felt…and Ryuji just didn’t want to do that all the time. He knew they were concerned about him, but being around his friends just reminded him of Akira and that was really painful for him. The counseling sessions with Kawakami weren’t helping for the same reason, she forced him to focus on Akira and that destroying him.

However, maybe that would all change today because today, today he was going to see Akira. Makoto had told him that Sae had finally managed to get them visitation rights and that made Ryuji feel happy. It was the first time he felt happy in days as he found himself grinning when he saw Sae’s car approach, quickly getting in as they chatted on the way to the place where Akira was locked up.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira didn’t really know what hit him when his guard entered his room this morning, telling him that he had a meeting with his new lawyer and that he should prepare accordingly. He was surprised to say the least, he had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he would get a government-appointed attorney. Who would willingly want to defend a teen in solitary confinement, especially one facing the charges he was facing? Juvie wasn’t as bad as Akira had initially thought, sure being in solitary confinement meant that pretty much the only one he interacted with was his guard, but at least they treated him…almost normally. He had been assigned a room the moment he arrived and even though it was technically still a cell, it was pretty much a normal bedroom. He had his own bathroom as well and they gave him food during the regular eating hours. The food wasn’t what he was used to, it was kind of unpleasant, but it was better than his previous experience in prison for sure.

Nevertheless he decided to dress himself in the most proper clothing he had been able to bring with him before his guard escorted him to a room that seemed to be made for questioning. Inside the room a red-haired man wearing a blue suit was waiting for him. Akira could see that the man had his attorney’s badge proudly pinned on his suit as smiled reassuringly at Akira.

“I would like for you to turn off the security cameras so I can talk to my client in private, I’ve got all the paperwork right here. Furthermore he’s expecting visitors in about an hour, so I expect you to move him to the visitation room after I’m done with him. Understood?” the man said, his voice filled with a sense of authority that took seemed to take both Akira and the guard aback. So much for the cheerful aura the man seemed to exude.

“But, with all due respect Tendo-san, this guy is a dangerous criminal. You could be in danger if we turn off the security cameras…” the guard muttered, seeming even more confused than Akira was.

“Please, if anyone’s in danger it’s him if he tries as much as to lay a finger on me. I’ll be fine, so if you could please leave and do as I instruct you to do that would be great,” the lawyer responded, glaring at the guard who quickly took the paperwork Teru held out to him, before doing exactly what Teru told him to do before he left the room.

“So, did you like that little show? Name’s Tendo, Teru Tendo and it’s very nice to finally meet you Akira…or should I say Joker?” Teru said, completely changing the tone of his voice as he held out his hand, while smiling brightly.

“Akira’s fine…” Akira muttered, taken aback by the guy who was sitting in front of him, as he quickly shook his hand. His handshake was firm and reassuring, but Akira quickly realized that Teru definitely wasn’t a normal lawyer.

“You’re wondering why I’m here, aren’t you?” Teru asked, causing Akira to nod at him. He wasn’t sure if he could trust this guy yet but he knew he had to give it a try.

“You’re really stiff man, you should loosen up a bit,” Teru joked before he started chuckling, causing Akira to glare at him.

“How do I know I can trust you?” Akira demanded as he tried, and failed, to hide the hostility in his voice. He just felt like something was off about this guy as Teru seemed to straighten himself before he pulled what looked like a casefile out of his briefcase.

“Well, Sae handed me this. It’s basically all the information about your case. I also know about the Metaverse, the fact you guys are behind the changes of hearts that occurred over the past year and that Masayoshi Shido was behind the mental shutdowns. Do I paint an accurate picture?” Teru said as what seemed to look like a cocky grin colored his features.

“Wait…they told you everything?” Akira asked, stunned by what he just heard. This was a lot of process at once and he did not understand why his friends would get another person involved. 

“Pretty much, I mean I only found out about everything a couple of days ago but I know the gist of what happened over the past year. Honestly, you guys are the coolest. You’re actual real life heroes!” Teru responded, his voice filled with excitement as his grin turned into a smile.

Akira thought that Teru seemed sincere, there was no way he could fake that enthusiasm. Akira would know, Ryuji was the exact same when he was excited about something and Teru’s responses reminded him a little of that.

* * *

“So what it comes down to is that I’m really screwed?” Akira asked after he and Teru had discussed the details about his case. Teru had explained to him that his friends were trying really hard to clear his name as Sae worked on the case against Shido. He had also mentioned that both things weren’t exactly going well and that that’s why Sae turned to him for help causing Akira to understand why they had gotten Teru involved. Teru was pretty much his last line of defense if it ever came down to that and that chance was getting more likely by the day.

“Not if I can help it, I promise I’ll fight my hardest to free you Akira. You and your friends saved Tokyo, now let me try and return the favor by saving you. I will prove to you that there can be adult heroes too!” Teru said as he clutched his tie before smiling reassuringly at Akira, causing him to smile back. Akira didn’t really want to smile, but he couldn’t help it. Something about Teru was just reassuring and even though he wasn’t sure if he could trust him yet, he could at least give it a shot. It was not like he had anything to lose and Teru seemed nice enough.

“You mentioned visitors?” Akira asked, suddenly remembering the fact that Teru had mentioned that before. It struck him as odd, considering he had been told that he was not allowed any because he was locked away in solitary confinement.

“One of the perks of me being your lawyer, I get stuff done,” Teru said as the same grin from before colored his features.

“But yes and it looks like they’re about to arrive so I’ll go meet them outside to bring them in. Be careful with what you talk about though. I was able to arrange for this once, but if this goes wrong I’ll be the only person you’ll see as long as you’re in here,” Teru explained before he stood up to leave the room.

“I’m sure it’ll all be fine though, don’t worry about it!” he said, smiling reassuringly once more before he left the room.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji couldn’t help but feel angry when they arrived at the prison. It looked dull and grey and the fact that Akira was locked up inside made something inside of him boil.

“You okay Ryuji?” Makoto asked as she looked at him with concern.

“Am fine,” he grunted as they got out of the car, promising himself to keep his cool. He was going to see Akira for the first time in weeks. This was a good thing, he had to believe that.

“Follow me,” Sae said as she gestured to Makoto and Ryuji before leading them to what looked like the entrance. In front of the entrance Ryuji noticed that a red-haired man was seemingly waiting for them. Said man confirmed that moments later when he noticed Sae and Makoto, excitedly waving at them while a bright smile covered his face.

“Morning,” Sae greeted him when they made their way over to him, before the man held out his hand to Ryuji.

“You must be Ryuji, I’m Teru Tendo. It’s nice to meet you man!” he said as he cheerfully introduced himself.

“L-Likewise, I think?” Ryuji muttered as he shook Teru’s hand.

“Teru is Akira’s lawyer, he’s the guy who arranged that we can meet him today,” Sae explained when she saw the surprised look on Ryuji’s face causing him to feel overwhelmed with what could only be described as a rush of happiness.

“So, I really get to see him? I really get to see Akira!?” he exclaimed excitedly causing Teru to laugh while Makoto and Sae looked slightly annoyed.

“You really get to see him kid,” Teru confirmed before he opened the door to what looked like a room for visitors.

“Shall we go then?” he asked and he didn’t have to ask twice because Ryuji rushed inside, excited to finally see Akira again.

Sae and Teru led Makoto and Ryuji to a room with multiple small cubicles. The cubicles where placed against a glass wall with similar cubicles on the other side, probably to keep the inmates from breaking out. Ryuji hated thinking of Akira as an inmate, Akira was here because he had sacrificed himself for them, not because he had done something wrong and it made him feel angry.

That anger seemed to melt away when he saw Akira sit on the other side of the glass though, tears showing up in his eyes the moment he saw Ryuji. Ryuji couldn’t blame him as he could feel tears prick in the back of his eyes as well.

“You can use the telephone to talk to him,” Sae told him gently, allowing Ryuji to be the first one to talk to Akira, as she handed him the telephone that was inside the cubicle.

“Hey Ryu,” Akira said softly as he sniffled, seemingly overcome by his emotions.

“Hey man…” Ryuji whispered back, unable to help himself as he started smiling. He had missed Akira so much and here he was.

“How have you been? I heard you have been working really hard?” Akira asked softly, causing Ryuji to tearfully nod at him, not wanting to tell Akira the truth. Sure they had been working really hard, but they were failing him. They were failing him badly. They still hadn’t found any information about Miki Ishida and Ann’s group wasn’t faring much better. Apparently Akira’s confidants had been harder to track down than they thought with both Akira and Morgana gone. Morgana would’ve known who they were, but no one else did…but Morgana was gone now…

“Did I see something wrong Ryu? I didn’t want to make you cry…” Akira muttered as he seemed to get a bit upset himself, making Ryuji want to hug him. But he couldn’t because of the glass wall that separated them and it made Ryuji feel like Akira was so close, yet so far away at the same time.

“You didn’t, I just really hate all of this,” Ryuji said as he shook his head, before noticing Makoto was nervously twiddling her thumbs in the corner of the cubicle.

“Get over here Makoto,” Ryuji said as he motioned to her, causing the girl to quickly walk over to him as she and Ryuji clumsily shared the phone.

“Hey Makoto,” Akira greeted with a smile.

“Akira! Are they treating you alright?” Makoto asked, covering her hand with her mouth as she realized she probably should’ve greeted him differently.

“I’m fine, they’re actually taking pretty decent care of me here,” Akira said and Ryuji actually believed it. Akira looked pretty good, maybe he lost a little weight but other than that he seemed fine. Ryuji couldn’t help but see the misery in Akira’s eyes though. Being in Juvie must be incredibly hard for him, especially after the prison trauma he went through before. It was wrong, it was so wrong and that was all Ryuji could think about as Akira and Makoto seemed to happily chat away.

It was in that moment that Ryuji felt something snap inside of him as he slammed his hands down on the desk in front of him, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.

“This is effin’ bullshit! You’re not supposed to be in there Kira! Everyone here should be grateful for what you did and instead they’re treating you like a freakin’ criminal! It pisses me off!” Ryuji yelled as everyone looked at him in shock before Ryuji slammed his fists against the glass wall.

“Knock it off Ryuji!” Makoto yelped in surprise, but Ryuji didn’t care as he continued slamming his fists against the wall. He wanted to get through. He wanted to feel Akira, be with him and he didn’t care what happened to him as he felt the tears stream down his face.

“I’m getting you out. I swear to freakin’ god I won’t stop until you’re out Kira! I promise,” he yelled before he could feel someone grab both of his arms before he could take another swing at the glass.

“Enough, Ryuji. You’re attracting unwanted visitors,” Teru hissed before he pulled both of Ryuji’s arms down behind his back. Ryuji tried to fight back, but Teru turned out to have a very tight grip on him making it impossible for him to break free.

“Screw you, Teru. You don’t know anything, let me go!” Ryuji yelled before he could see a warden approach them.  

“Don’t worry sir, I’ll make sure this visitor won’t cause another scene,” Teru said to the warden, ignoring Ryuji, before he escorted Ryuji and Makoto outside. Sae had already started talking to the warden, trying to come up with an excuse for what just happened.

* * *

“I can’t believe you did that Ryuji. You’re lucky they even allowed us to leave after that stunt you pulled,” Makoto muttered, still shocked, after Teru had gone back inside, telling them to stay put while he and Sae would handle things with the warden.

“I’m sorry…it’s just so wrong. Akira’s supposed to be out here with us, not inside that effin’ cell,” he whispered as he punched his fist against the wall once again, not caring how bloody his knuckles were.

“It’s not effin’ fair!” he yelled louder this time as Makoto put a hand on his shoulder.

“I do get what you mean Ryuji, but you did screw up our only chance at getting information out of him…You really need to learn how to hold back,” Makoto said, sounding sad before they saw Sae and Teru approaching them.

“Luckily that’s not the case, even though Teru’s the only one who’s still allowed to visit Akira after this, the warden allowed me to have a few words with him before he was brought back to his room and it allowed me to get the information we need to find Miss Ishida. Your lack of tact was very disappointing though Ryuji and it could’ve had grave consequences,” Sae said, seemingly having overheard the conversation Ryuji was having with Makoto.

“You can’t blame him too much, he was just…” Teru tried, before Sae cut him off glaring at him before she turned towards Ryuji.

“You need to learn how to control yourself in situations like this Ryuji. This isn’t like the Metaverse, you can’t barge in and throw a tantrum just because you disagree with things. You won’t help Akira like this, in fact, you’ll only make things worse,” she continued before she turned around, looking like she was ready to leave.

Her words stung, especially because Ryuji knew that what she had said was true. He shouldn’t have flown off the handle like he had. He was about to follow her and Makoto to the car before Teru turned towards him, catching Ryuji by surprise.

“You’re coming with me kid,” Teru said, smiling at Ryuji as he beckoned for him to follow him.

“I don’t want to,” Ryuji muttered, confused at what was going on. He just wanted to go home, he didn’t want Teru to punish him for what he had just done. He was assuming that was what this was about anyways. He would probably get some lawyer-y talk about how he endangered Akira’s entire case and it wasn’t like he didn’t know that either. He didn’t need someone to chew him out for that.

“You don’t have a choice Ryuji, we’re not taking you back,” Makoto said to him, albeit a bit reluctantly, before she and Sae made their way to the car, leaving Ryuji staring after them with a flummoxed look on his face.

“You coming or what?” the older man yelled causing Ryuji to fasten his pace as he made his way over to Teru. He had no choice really, considering Teru was his only way back to Tokyo now.

“Where’s your car?” Ryuji asked, before realizing that Teru was standing next to a motorcycle as he held out what looked like his spare helmet in front of him.

“Who said anything ‘bout a car?” he grinned as Ryuji excitedly grabbed the helmet. Ryuji wasn’t sure what to think about Teru yet, but he loved motorcycles and the fact that Teru had one definitely made him a lot cooler in Ryuji’s eyes.

* * *

“That was so cool Tendo-san,” Ryuji yelled excitedly after they got off Teru’s bike. Ryuji loved the entire ride back to Tokyo. Teru was a bit of a risky driver and took very sharp turns, causing Ryuji to feel the adrenaline course through his veins every time they had to take a turn and even though he suspected Teru had done it on purpose he had enjoyed every minute of it.

“Let’s stop with the “Tendo-san” Ryuji. Call me Teru,” Teru said with a smile as Ryuji nodded at him.

“You looked like you needed a ride to cool your jets, am I right?” he pointed out.

“I guess, but how would you know?” Ryuji asked, still trying to figure out what exactly Teru’s deal was.

“You’re not the only one who’s a bit hot-blooded, you know. Just gotta learn how to deal with it kiddo,” he said as he rubbed the back of his head with a grin on his face.

“So, what is this place Teru?” Ryuji asked after he took a good look at the building in front of him. It looked like some kind of gym but it wasn’t like the one he used to go to. This one seemed more focused on sports like boxing.

“Part one of why Sae entrusted you to me for the rest of the day,” Teru said, still smiling, before he went inside, motioning for Ryuji to follow him.

When Ryuji walked inside he quickly realized that his hunch was right. He saw multiple punching-bags hanging from the ceiling along with other fighting equipment, as well as multiple boxing rings where people were having practice matches.

“You ever gone boxing before?” Teru asked as he led Ryuji to the changing rooms. Stopping at what looked like his personal locker. Ryuji realized it was his because Teru had decorated it with a huge golden star that said “輝”

“No…Besides I don’t have any clothes to train in so I’m not sure what I’m even doing here…” Ryuji muttered causing Teru to laugh.

“Come on man, relax. We’re the same height so you can borrow my spare set!” he said as he threw a bundle of clothes at Ryuji.

* * *

After Ryuji was done changing, the clothes fitting him perfectly to his surprise, he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a white tank top that said “Lawyer” on the front along with black shorts.

“Looking cool Ryuji,” Teru said after standing next to him. Teru wore similar clothes, the only difference was that his top said “Hero” instead of “Lawyer.

Ryuji felt a bit awkward wearing the clothes Teru handed him, especially since he barely knew the guy, but he decided to give him a thumbs-up to try and alleviate the tension he was feeling.

“Ready to punch all that anger out of your system then kid?” Teru exclaimed excitedly before he led Ryuji to what looked like a practice area before handing him what looked like protective gloves.

Teru explained that while they wouldn’t practice using actual boxing gloves, these would protect his hands from getting bruised.

“Just go all out Ryuji,” Teru said as he motioned for Ryuji to start, causing Ryuji to look around in surprise.

“There’s no punching bag here…?” he questioned, causing Teru to grin at him.

“You’re looking at one right now, aren’t you mad at me for how I treated you during your visit? Show me that anger kid and give me a good ol’ beating,” Teru explained as he seemed to ready himself.

“Come on Ryuji, are you scared of me?” Teru teased after Ryuji didn’t make a move.

“All bark and no bite huh?” Teru continued before Ryuji threw a punch at his face. A punch that Teru blocked before it got even close to hitting him.

“Good job Ryuji, keep them coming!” he cheered, causing Ryuji to do so.

To Ryuji’s surprise Teru was able to block every single punch he threw his way, causing Ryuji to realize that Teru had been doing this for quite some time.

“Can you still keep going kid?” Teru said after they had been going at it for about 10 minutes, causing Ryuji to seize that opportunity to throw a punch at Teru’s gut. A punch that he actually managed to hit as Teru started coughing.

“You okay?” Ryuji yelped, scared that he had actually hurt Teru. Teru quickly reassured that he was, in fact, fine, smiling reassuringly at Ryuji before telling him they should take a break before having another go at it.

* * *

“Want a drink?” Teru asked, holding out a can of soda after he had gotten back from the vending machine.

“For sure, thanks man!” Ryuji responded with a smile as he accepted the can, cracking it open before he took a large sip. All the working out had made him really thirsty.

“So…can I ask you a question Ryuji?” Teru asked after he took a sip of his own drink, a bottle of plain water. Ryuji would never understand why people would drink that stuff. Even when he drank water back while he was on the track team, he would always drink carbonated water at least.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Why’d you fly of the handle like that? I mean, I totally understand man but it really made things a lot harder,” Teru asked, sounding sincere.

“I guess I’m just really pissed off man, all the stuff that’s been happening with Kira’s not fair,” Ryuji stammered, trying his hardest not to get angry again.

“Well take it from me kiddo, life’s not fair, so don’t let your anger take over. It won’t do you any good. Unless it’s with boxing. Speaking about boxing, want to have another shot at me?” Teru said before he got up as he and Ryuji moved back to the area where they were practicing before.

“Ok Ryuji, give me everything you got!” Teru said as he got ready to block Ryuji’s punches again.

Ryuji decided he may as well, this was a good way to channel his aggression and he had to admit that boxing was kind of fun too.

* * *

“Damn I’m so tired,” Ryuji said after he and Teru left the gym, before his stomach let out what sounded like a huge roar causing him to blush as Teru laughed.

“And hungry apparently, what would you like to eat? It’s my treat kid,” Teru said with a smile, causing Ryuji to look at him in surprise.

“For real?! You’re really taking me out for food?” Ryuji asked in surprise, causing Teru’s grin to grow wider.

“Yeah kiddo, I promised I’d take good care of you today. So what do you like? There’s a good sushi place around here, there’s ramen too…I think there’s also a place that serves monjayaki too if you’re into that. You choose Ryuji!”

“Ramen, I love ramen!” Ryuji said excitedly. Maybe he shouldn’t have judged Teru in the way he had done when they first met. This, along with the boxing and the motorcycle honestly made him seem like a pretty cool dude.

When they arrived at the ramen place they sat down at a table in the back before they both ordered. Teru told Ryuji he could order whatever he wanted, so Ryuji ordered the extra-large bowl to Teru’s surprise.

“As long as you finish it, that’s fine,” Teru said with a laugh, making small talk with Ryuji before their food arrived.

* * *

“This is really good ramen Teru!”  Ryuji said as he was eating away excitedly, causing Teru to look at him in shock.

“I can’t believe you can eat all that…” he muttered before looking at his own bowl, which was tiny in comparison to the one Ryuji was eating.

“Aren’t you supposed to eat more?” Ryuji asked in return, before he started to laugh at Teru’s flummoxed expression as he seemed to very much disagree with what Ryuji had said.

“I guess you can say it doesn’t suit me,” Teru said, laughing at his own pun before he realized Ryuji didn’t get it.

“It’s ‘cause I’m wearing a suit, get it?” he explained excitedly as Ryuji rolled his eyes, Teru’s puns were too much, even for him, before deciding to force a smile. He didn’t exactly want Teru to explain even more of his puns to him.

“Can I just circle back to what we were talking about before?” Teru asked, causing Ryuji to momentarily wonder what Teru was getting at before he nodded.

“I think you just lack an outlet, so why don’t you come boxing with me once a week?” Teru offered with a smile.

“I’ll treat you to food too,” he added after Ryuji didn’t respond, as if he was trying to entice him further…and it caused Ryuji to get suspicious. Generally when people offered him stuff like this, they would want something from him.

“Why are you so nice to me Teru?” he asked, voicing his concern which he instantly regretted when he saw what looked like a wounded look pass Teru’s face momentarily.

“Sae asked me to help out, so I’m helping out,” he said as he shrugged, causing Ryuji to feel sad. For a moment he thought Teru actually really cared about him but he was just doing it to get into Sae’s good graces. Ryuji could see the way that Teru looked at her, it was obvious he was in love with her, but he thought that Teru actually wanted to hang out with him.

“I see…” Ryuji muttered as he silently finished his ramen bowl.

“Can you take me home now…?” he asked after Teru had paid the bill. Ryuji had been tense ever since Teru had told them he was only helping him out because Sae asked him too. He didn’t quite understand why that made him feel upset, he had only known Teru for a day, but that didn’t change the fact that it did.

“Sure, just tell me where you live and I’ll drive you there,” Teru said with a smile as he handed Ryuji his spare helmet again.

* * *

The ride to his apartment was a lot less exciting than the other rides that Ryuji experienced during the day even though it was obvious that Teru was trying really hard to make it as exciting as possible.

“There we are,” Teru said as Ryuji got off his bike.

“Thanks Teru, guess I’ll see you around,” Ryuji said before he turned around to make his way to his apartment.

“Wait Ryuji, here you go,” Teru said as he handed him what looked like a business card, causing Ryuji to raise an eyebrow at Teru.

“Ignore the fact it’s my business card, my phone number is on there. Feel free to give me a call whenever you need anything, alright?” he clarified with a reassuring smile.

“I see…thanks,” Ryuji muttered before he turned around. He didn’t know if Teru was staring after him or not and he realized he was being rude, but he just wanted to get inside before his emotions got the best of him.

He was very thankful that his mom wasn’t home right now. She had gotten another promotion, she was doing really well, and was asked to go on an overseas business trip to meet with other assistant managers. After making sure Ryuji was okay with it she had decided to go, it was a huge opportunity for her after all. It didn’t make Ryuji feel less lonely though, his mom would be gone until early February and it made him feel like he was all alone.

Ryuji didn’t even bother changing after he got inside, crashing on his bed before he let the rush of emotions he had been fighting consume him. Tears streamed down his face as everything that happened during the day started replaying in front of his eyes. He had really screwed up this time, he had gone off the rails really badly when they visited Akira and he had potentially screwed over their chances at being able to communicate with him freely. What if Akira was really mad at him for what he did? What if he would break up with him the moment he got out? Ryuji figured he probably deserved that. Who would like a hothead like him? He was glad Teru and Sae had been there to diffuse the situation or things would’ve probably gotten incredibly messy.

Speaking of Teru, Ryuji could add him to the list of adults that had let him down. He foolishly thought that the older man cared about him, taking him boxing and then treating him to ramen but it turned out he was just doing that to get Sae to like him better. At least, that’s what Ryuji thought. Not that he blamed him, why would someone who really has his life together want to hang out with him anyways? In the end Ryuji was still just a bothersome little kid and he feared he would always stay that way as he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Teru sighed when he opened the door to his apartment before dropping down on his couch. Today had been a lot more intense than he had expected, that was for sure. He hoped that Ryuji was okay because he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t. The way he had walked off after Teru had given him a ride to his apartment had made it clear that Ryuji was upset about something. Honestly, the kid reminded Teru of himself when he was younger, Sae had pretty much been spot on when she had told him that, and that was part of what worried him. His personality had caused him to make some really stupid mistakes, mistakes that he saw Ryuji make now, and he wanted to prevent Ryuji from making those. He did not want Ryuji to feel the pain he had felt as he resolved to be there for him, hoping that Ryuji would call him when he needed to. He had given the kid his phone number for that reason. It wasn’t much, Teru figured, but if he could become someone’s hero maybe he would feel better about his own choices too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was a really intense chapter wasn’t it? Ryuji’s definitely in a really bad place right now and it may get even worse. You can pretty much say that he’s at his limit now and what happened while he was visiting Akira finally got him to snap. Can you really blame him though? He’s really been through a lot and to see his boyfriend shipped off to Juvie must be incredibly tough.
> 
> I also hope that you guys like the character development that both Sae and Teru are getting right now. I’m clearly doing that for a reason, but I’m curious if you guys have figured out why. 
> 
> Next chapter we’ll see Ann, Haru and the rest of the Phantom Thieves again as they try their hardest to keep Ryuji from completely spiraling, but will they succeed or will they need help from an outside source?
> 
> Oh and 輝 is the Kanji for Teru’s first name, in case anyone was wondering about that.
> 
> So I hope you guys will join me next time for another chapter that’ll be as heavy, if not heavier, than this one. I’ve also started a teaser countdown on my tumblr which I’ll update with every upcoming chapter I’ll release since we’re actually nearing the end (only 6 chapters (+ an epilogue) to go after this!)  
> Check that out here: http://raindene.tumblr.com and make sure to leave a kudo/comment if you want to let me know what you thought of this chapter! I love hearing your thoughts, so please do!
> 
> Btw, in regards to the countdown. Please let me know if you'd like me to do it on Archive as well, since I can easily just post the teasers in the notes too xP


	20. Hold On To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ryuji?” Ann asked, causing the boy to look up. Ryuji looked startled to see the least, he probably hadn’t expected anyone to find him, and seeing Ryuji like this broke Ann’s heart in a way. She had never seen him this broken…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t believe we’re already at chapter 20, it’s been a crazy ride since I first started publishing this and I hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have ^_^  
> At any rate, it’s time for another chapter that’s going to be pretty rough so I hope you guys are ready. A lot of people get to tell a bit of the story this time, so make sure to pay attention to the PoV’s since they’ll swap around a lot around! (And Yusuke gets his first PoV! I sincerely hope you guys like how I write him ‘cause it was really hard to get him right)
> 
> Also, reached over 100.000 words, I am pretty proud of that xP Oh and on that note, this chapter is also huge again (almost 7k words), so enjoy!

**Ann Takamaki**

Ann was worried about Ryuji, no that wasn’t right, saying she was worried about him would be an understatement. Ryuji hadn’t shown up to school during the entire week and after Makoto had told them about what had happened while they were visiting Akira her instincts had gone into overdrive as she started worrying about him non-stop.

She had tried texting and calling him, but he would completely ignore her…He completely ignored all of them at this point and it was driving her and the rest of their friends insane and it had gotten to the point where she had enough. It was time for an intervention.

* * *

“Open up Ryuji, I know you’re in there!” Ann yelled as she knocked on the door. She didn’t want to have to resort to this, but when Ryuji didn’t show any sign of life she reached for the spare key before she opened the door herself.

She was greeted by a smell that almost made her throw up the moment she walked in, it being a mix of dirty laundry and instant noodles, as she tried to find a way to turn the lights on.

Ann was appalled the moment she managed to do that, she hadn’t seen Ryuji yet, but she was shocked by the state she found the apartment in. The kitchen was littered with cups of instant ramen that Ryuji hadn’t bothered to throw away, while his clothes were scattered all over the place.

“Ryuji…?” she asked hesitantly, hoping to get any kind of response as she slowly made her way to his room, carefully knocking on the door when she reached it.

A feeling of dread filled Ann when there was no response. Ryuji should’ve said something to her at this point, anything really, as she remembered the last time she was here for a similar reason.

She carefully opened the door to find a dark room, blinking a couple of times to get used to the darkness, before she found Ryuji huddled up in the corner of the room. He was shaking and didn’t even seem to notice her entering the room.

“Ryuji?” Ann asked, causing the boy to look up. Ryuji looked startled to see the least, he probably hadn’t expected anyone to find him, and seeing Ryuji like this broke Ann’s heart in a way. She had never seen him this broken…

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” she inquired as she moved over to him, making sure not to startle him as she made her way over to his side.

“Ann? What are you doing here?” Ryuji asked as he blinked a couple of times. He looked like a mess, causing Ann to wonder how long he had been sitting like this.

“I’m worried about you silly, we all are. You didn’t show up to school all week,” she explained softly before she noticed Ryuji looking away from her.

“Am sorry, didn’t mean to worry you…” he muttered, sounding sad.

“That’s fine, Ryuji. Don’t worry about it, okay?” she said as she smiled at him kindly, causing him to look up at her. Ann could see he had been crying a lot. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked like he hadn’t slept properly in days. In fact he looked completely devoid of the cheerfulness that he normally exuded.

“Ok,” he whispered, before he looked at his knees again.

“Can you tell me why you didn’t go to school?” Ann asked, causing Ryuji to look at her for a moment before he looked away again.

“No point…”

“What do you mean?” Ann pushed, desperately hoping to get something out of Ryuji at least. Anything would help at this point.

“I’m a failure anyways…” he said, barely audible, causing Ann to wince. She had not expected Ryuji to relapse into thinking like that. She, and the others, had hoped he had grown past that. Even with Akira being gone for now.

“Why do you feel like that, Ryuji?” she asked, but Ryuji seemed to no longer pay attention to her as he hugged his knees causing Ann to let out a sigh before she saw him shivering. She quickly noticed that the room was actually quite cold and that Ryuji was only wearing a t-shirt, figuring she should at least get him to go back to his bed before he got sick too.

“We can talk about it later, don’t worry about it. Why don’t you stand up and go lie down on your bed? It’s probably more comfortable than staying on the ground, right?” she asked, trying to smile at him as he shrugged.

“Ok…” he muttered before he got up to waddle over to his bed. Ann knew that Ryuji only had trouble with his leg when he was sleep-deprived, confirming her suspicion that he hadn’t been taking care of himself properly.

After he had managed to lie down, she pulled his covers before tucking him in like he was her little brother. She felt like that was the only thing she could do at this point and it made her feel completely helpless.

“Do you need anything?” she asked, causing Ryuji to shake his head before he just stared at the ceiling, seemingly consumed by his thoughts.

“I’ll stay around for a bit, so just yell for me if you need anything alright?” Ann said before she decided to head back to the living room. As much as she wanted to stay with Ryuji she couldn’t, not when he was like this. It only brought her down with her and she needed to keep a level head in this situation.

The moment she had left the room, she knew that she had to do something and that she couldn’t do it alone as she pulled out her phone to text the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

> **Ann > **Guys, it’s really bad. You all need to come over to Ryuji’s apartment right now, I can’t do this alone. I need help. Somebody please help me!

She prayed the others would see it as she decided she should at least clean the apartment a little. Ryuji certainly wasn’t in any state to do so, she was glad she had at least gotten him back in his bed, as she feared for his state of mind. Ryuji was really out of it, it was like something had snapped inside of him that had caused him to lose all of his spunk and it worried Ann like crazy…

* * *

“It’s bad. He is confined to his bed, he probably hasn’t eaten or slept properly in days. I have no idea how long he has been like this,” Ann explained when she saw Haru, Makoto, Futaba and Yusuke in front of Ryuji’s doorstep. It had only been 30 minutes since Ann had texted them but she was glad they were here now, maybe now they could do something to fix him.

As for Ann herself, she had spent the last 30 minutes making Ryuji’s apartment look presentable and she had done a decent job. The smell was mostly gone, except for when you got close to Ryuji’s bedroom, and the clothes and trash were all cleaned up.

She could see that her friends had varying degrees of worry all over their faces, before Haru seemed to have an idea.

“We should fill him with love and validation,” she said, causing the rest of the group to look at her with confused looks on their faces.

“Well, based on what Mako-chan told us he probably thinks he screwed up a lot with Akira…if we can get him to stop focusing on that, he may feel better and talk to us!” she explained, the rest of the group nodding.

Ann figured they could at least give it a go before they discussed their plan to make Ryuji feel so much love that he would stop being so down on himself.

* * *

**Futaba Sakura**

Futaba was very nervous when she opened the door to Ryuji’s room. She had never been very good with all this emotional stuff and she kind of hated it so she had offered to be the first to try and cheer Ryuji up. May as well get it over with and besides, her plan was flawless. It had an absolute 100% success rate, or at least, that’s what she thought.

“Ryuji, how are you doing buddy?” she said, trying to sound as excited as possible when she entered the room while she ignored the trash that was laying all over the floor. Her room was messy too, so she could relate to Ryuji in a way.

“Fine,” he muttered, not bothering to look up at Futaba. She may not be the greatest at social clues, but even she knew that this was an enormous lie as she sat next to him on the bed.

“Look, I brought a lot of new games! They’re all portable too and we can play them together!” she said as she opened her backpack to show her spoils to Ryuji. This had to work, Ryuji loved video games and she had found out they had similar tastes during the times they had played games together.

“No thanks, I’m good…” Ryuji said, causing Futaba to stare at him in shock.

“But they’re new and I just know you love these! Just try it Ryuji,” she tried, before he took the backpack from her hands, closed it, and gave it a push so it slid out of the room causing Futaba to run after it in distress. She hoped Ryuji hadn’t broken her games, but she was also disappointed that her plan didn’t work.

“I’m sorry guys…” she said to the others who were staring at her. They had turned to see what the commotion was about when they saw Futaba’s backpack slide back into the living room.

“Guess he doesn’t want to play videogames…”

* * *

**Yusuke Kitagawa**

Yusuke was next and he was sure that he would be able to get Ryuji out of his slump. He had adequately prepared himself for this moment. Honestly, he had known something was up ever since Akira and Ryuji had gotten cruelly separated as he clutched the sketchbook he was holding proudly to his chest. This had been his secret project to make Ryuji feel better if that time ever came and it seemed like said time was finally here.

He had trouble not pinching his nose when he entered Ryuji’s room as he was appalled by both the smell and his surroundings. Ryuji’s breakdown certainly hadn’t made the room a pleasant place to be in as it was incredibly messy. Yusuke could barely make out what he deemed to be a combination between a pirate- and skull-based aesthetic, smiling at the thought that Ryuji was really living up to his Metaverse codename. He hoped that he would be able to observe the room in its full glory after Ryuji had recovered. 

“Hey Ryuji, I made you something to get you back to your happy place,” Yusuke said as he sat down next to Ryuji, who looked at him in surprise.

“Oh?” he replied, although he didn’t seem very interested as he seemingly just stared in front of him.

“Look through this, I’m sure you’ll enjoy all the memories you’ll see,” Yusuke suggested excitedly as he handed Ryuji the sketchbook he was holding. He had taken it upon himself to draw the most iconic moments from Ryuji and Akira’s relationship along with their memories as Phantom Thieves. He was sure that Ryuji would return to his original personality if he just relived his memories.

Yusuke felt relieved for a moment when he saw what looked like a small smile appearing on Ryuji’s face as he went through the pages of the sketchbook, before said smile turned into a grimace and Ryuji angrily ripped a page from it. Yusuke looked on in shock at Ryuji crumpled up the paper and threw it across the room, snatching the sketchbook from Ryuji’s hands before Ryuji send him out of the room.

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

Haru was next, carrying what looked like a huge bag of “feel good” gifts that represented Akira and Ryuji’s relationship. She had been a huge fan of their relationship ever since they started dating and had memorized most of the things Ryuji had told her. Some people would say it’s creepy, even though she was just really happy for them, but right now the fact that she had paid a lot of attention definitely came in handy. Her plan was perfect too, she would pretend the gifts came from Akira. She had even gotten Yusuke to write a note for her plan work. She wasn’t sure if lying was the right way to go, but she could always apologize to Ryuji after he had gotten out of this funk, and she and the others were desperate to cheer him up.

“Hey Ryuji,” she said cheerfully when she entered to room even though the only thing he did was look at her with a face that screamed “get out”. Yusuke and Futaba’s attempts had certainly soured Ryuji’s mood.

“What do you want Haru?” Ryuji asked, sounding hostile, causing Haru swallow. Hearing Ryuji talk to her like that really hurt, but she knew he didn’t mean it. He was just in a bad place right now.

“I just came in to give you this basket of gifts that we found in front of your door, there’s a note too!” she explained excitedly before handing the gift basket to Ryuji.

Ryuji seemed genuinely interested for a moment as he opened the note.

“Dear Ryuji, I just want to tell you that I don’t blame you for anything you did. I love you and I will always love you. I got you these gifts to remind you of our wonderful relationship and the times we spent together. I can’t wait to be with you again. Love, Akira” he read before a look of anger spread across his face, causing Haru to dread what he was about to say as he turned towards her with fire burning inside his eyes.

“You of all people should know that Akira would never be able to send this from solitary confinement. Who wrote this? Yusuke!?” Ryuji yelled as he threw the gift basket along with the letter back into the living room, Haru quickly running after it.

“I have never seen him like this…” she muttered before she looked at the others. This was bad, like really bad. None of their plans were working and the only thing they seemed to succeed at was making Ryuji angrier by the minute.

* * *

**Makoto Niijima**

Makoto felt like she and the others who were gathered in Ryuji’s living room were grasping at straws at this point. Their three attempts to cheer Ryuji up had only caused to upset him further and they were all kind of afraid to go in at this point.

“I thought my note was really good…” Yusuke muttered before Futaba wrapped his arm around him.

“It was, you should’ve gotten a huge quest reward…” she whispered causing Makoto to roll her eyes, they were missing the point completely as she looked around before she spotted what looked like a business card laying on the coffee table.

She grabbed it before realizing it was Teru’s business card. Realizing that Teru was the last person who had seen Ryuji before he had his breakdown she dialed his number on her phone, after considering it for a little bit, hoping that he would be able to shed some light on what happened.

“Hey there, Teru Tendo speaking, how can I help you?” she heard Teru chipper on the other side of the phone almost immediately.

“Teru, you’re speaking to Makoto, Sae’s sister, I’m calling you because we’re in a bit of a bind and I was hoping you’d be able to help…” she said, unable to sound the desperation in her voice.

“I know who you are Makoto. What’s wrong?” Teru asked, dropping his cheerful tone for a more concerned one.

“It’s Ryuji…he hasn’t shown up to school ever since that time you went out with him and I was wondering if you had any idea what happened?” she explained, as she heard Teru gasp a little.

“Dammit, I knew that kid wasn’t okay. Where are you guys now? I’ll come help out!” he said, causing Makoto to explain everything that had happened up until that point before revealing they were at Ryuji’s apartment. Teru promised her he’d be there soon, he just had to drop off his work stuff at home and get something for Ryuji before making his way over to them.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

Ann was surprised when she heard the doorbell ring, she had gone back to the kitchen to clean Ryuji’s apartment up further after she had noticed Makoto leaving the room to make a phone call. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hang out with her friends but she needed to do something productive. She hated seeing Ryuji like this and she figured that if she couldn’t cheer him up, she could at least make sure the apartment was in decent condition. Besides the others were slowly losing themselves to a certain sense of desperation and Ann did not want to get swept up in that.

She was about to open the door before she saw that Makoto had already opened it, revealing a red-haired man she didn’t recognize standing in the doorway as she and the rest of the Phantom Thieves quickly made their way over to the door.

“Intruder! Get him Inari!” Futaba yelled, pointing at the man in the doorway as if she was commanding Yusuke to attack him. Yusuke, for his part, just rolled his eyes although he looked at the man warily.

“Hey everyone, you may not know me but I’m Akira’s lawyer. I’m Teru Tendo, please call me Teru, and it’s nice to meet you all,” he said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head while everyone just stared at him in surprise as one question seemed to cross everyone’s mind at the same time. What the hell was Akira’s lawyer doing here?”

“Excuse me, Teru-san? But what exactly are you doing here?” Haru asked, breaking the rather awkward silence.

“Makoto called me, I’m friends with her sister, and explained the situation to me. I was the one who arranged the visit at the prison and I took care of Ryuji after what happened. Where is he now?” Teru asked, sounding concerned.

“He’s in his room and he’s not responding to any of us…He’s in a really fragile state of mind and we don’t know what to do anymore…” Ann replied as she swallowed her tears. Admitting that she had no idea how to help Ryuji really hurt for some reason because she really wanted to be there for him.

“Give me an hour with him, I’ll get him back to normal,” Teru said confidently as he took off his coat.

“Don’t worry kids, I got this,” he said before Makoto pointed him towards Ryuji’s room which he approached with stride.

Ann honestly hoped that this would work. At least Teru seemed to know what he was doing, or well, Ann hoped he did.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was annoyed when he heard the door open again. Couldn’t his friends just leave him alone? He didn’t want to see anyone. He didn’t deserve people treating him with kindness after what he had done. It was his fault that Akira was going to be stuck in jail for the rest of his life and it annoyed him that everyone else apparently couldn’t see that. They tried to tell him it wasn’t his fault and it pissed him off.

“You’re the best they could do?” Ryuji groaned when he saw Teru, out of all people, entering his room. He had expected it to be Ann or Makoto, considering they hadn’t come in yet but this was surprising to say the least. Teru was wearing casual clothes as well, instead of the suit that Ryuji associated him with, causing him to almost look normal.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that,” the older man responded with his trademark cocky smile as he moved the chair by Ryuji’s desk next to the boy’s bed.

“What’s up?” he asked after he sat down, causing Ryuji to turn away from him.

“Go away! I don’t want to talk to you!” he yelled angrily. He didn’t want to talk to anyone at this point, but definitely not to his boyfriend’s lawyer. Ryuji didn’t even understand what Teru was doing here. Sure, going boxing with him had been fun and the ramen was even better, but Ryuji knew he was just doing that to get into Sae’s good graces. There was no way Teru actually cared about him, he had made the abundantly clear to him while they were eating ramen together.

“Nope,” Teru responded, causing an angry Ryuji to grab a pillow and throw it at Teru’s face.

“Guess you have some bite in you after all Ryuji!” Teru taunted him as he caught the pillow, causing Ryuji to glare at him.

“Oh, you wanted it to hit my face?” he pointed out before handing the pillow back to Ryuji.

“Go ahead then. Give me a faceful of pillow if that makes you feel better!” Teru said, laughing at his pun as he spread his arms out to make himself look like a living target causing Ryuji to put away his pillow in annoyance. Teru was trying way too hard and it was annoying Ryuji to no end. Partially because Teru was annoying, but also because Ryuji didn’t understand why the older men was here in the first place.

“Why are you here Teru?” Ryuji asked, not bothering to hide the hostile tone that laced his voice.

“Well, your friends told me they couldn’t manage to cheer you up so they brought in the big guns: Me!” he explained as he pointed towards himself with pride.

“So you’re here because Sae told you to? You’re desperate dude!” Ryuji said, having deducted that that was probably a way to piss Teru off enough to leave him alone. He didn’t care about hurting Teru’s feelings either, Teru had hurt him first after all.

“First off, I’m not desperate. I know Sae doesn’t return my feelings and I accepted that, besides she wasn’t the one who asked me to come here. No one did,” Teru said stoically catching Ryuji by surprise.

“They were really worried about you and called me for advice but they never asked me to come over. I decided to do so because you remind me of myself and I can’t help but care about you,” he continued, smiling reassuringly at Ryuji when he finished his explanation.

“Bullshit!” Ryuji yelled angrily. He hated people who lied to him and it was obvious that Teru was. There was no way someone like Teru would care about him, Ryuji had convinced himself of that. Besides Teru had said so, he was sure Teru had said so.

“I’m really not, I promise. Just let me tell you a story Ryuji. All you have to do is listen and if you still want me to go when I’m done, I’ll leave and not bother you again. You’ll be rid of me as soon as I finish getting Akira out of prison,” Teru told him.

“Fine,” Ryuji agreed. He had finally gotten somewhere, he just had to listen to the older man tell him one story before he would leave and Ryuji could go back to being alone.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

“So this story is about this kid, right? He wasn’t a very popular kid, in fact people always made fun of him because he wanted to be a hero. He tried not to care about what those people thought because he believed that as long as he stayed true to his dreams it didn’t matter what others thought of him. His dream made it so that he would always stand up for other kids, especially if they were being bullied, because he hated seeing other kids in trouble and he figured that that’s what heroes do. Help people in need. He got beaten up a lot because of what he did since the bullies found him a nuisance and instead of helping him out the kids he “saved” ran away. In fact no one ever looked out for him and in the end he almost gave up on his dream because no one supported him.”

Teru paused for a moment, seemingly swallowing his emotions, before looking at Ryuji expectantly as he cleared his throat to continue his story:

“As he got older people told him he was an idiot that should man up and get serious, so he eventually decided to do so. He went to law school and became a lawyer. It was his way to try and become a hero but deep down he always felt like he hadn’t followed his dream. He was miserable at his job, the only thing the company he worked for cared about being money, since it was completely different from what he had expected. His employer tried to force him to abandon a kid he represented because it wasn’t profitable and he would have done it, having giving up on his dreams, if it wasn’t for a certain group of heroes reminding him of how he should never give up on what he believed in. He quit his job to continue representing the kid because those heroes had shown him that he had to stay true to himself and he resolved to use his abilities as a lawyer to save the people who need him.”

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Teru sighed after finishing his story, waiting a couple of moments before he stood up to make his way towards the door. He looked like he was going to keep his promise even though Ryuji could see that, to his surprise, Teru seemed to do so reluctantly. It was like he really wanted to stay as Ryuji saw the same hurt expression that he had seen when they were in the restaurant covering Teru’s face causing Ryuji to realize that perhaps he was wrong about Teru.

“Wait…” Ryuji muttered, causing Teru to turn around with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Are you that kid, Teru? Why’d you tell me that?” he asked as Teru moved back towards Ryuji before deciding to sit back down on his chair as he cleared his throat again.

“Yes, that’s pretty much my life’s story. And honestly, I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to show you that I’m not full of the shit you seem to think I am,” the older man admitted as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

“I will still go if you want me to though, I promised you I would,” he said after a while, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes which caused Ryuji to realize that his hunch was correct. He had been wrong about Teru, Teru genuinely wanted to help him. He just didn’t understand why…

“You can stay man…I just didn’t think a guy like you would be interested in hanging out with me…” Ryuji muttered, looking away. He had been so wrong about Teru and it made him feel terrible.

“A guy like me?” Teru inquired, sounding genuinely curious.

“Y’know, you’re like one of those cool adults. You got a cool ride, you’re a freaking lawyer, you even got effin’ stubble on your chin and you’re really nice. I just don’t get why someone in their early 20’s would hang with a brat like me…” Ryuji rambled, causing Teru to chuckle as he seemed amused by what Ryuji had said.

“What?” Ryuji asked, unsure why Teru had started to laugh.

“Well first off, I’m a bit older than you think. I’m 26 kiddo,” Teru said, after he stifled his laughter, causing Ryuji’s eyes to grow wide.

“Then why do you hang out with me? That’s almost a 10 year difference dude!” he asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

“Do you know what the downside to being what you call a “cool adult” is Ryuji?” Teru responded, causing Ryuji to shake his head as Teru sighed.

“Other adults don’t like you. Aside from Sae I don’t have a lot of friends, any friends really. My former colleagues refer to me as “that idiot who believes in fake dreams”. They scoffed at me wanting to become a hero of justice and after I quit my job…everyone else turned on me as well…leaving me to pretty much fend for myself as people like to remind me that I’m a screw-up in their eyes,” Teru explained, looking towards the ground, seemingly swallowing whatever emotions he felt when he explained his situation, as Ryuji looked at him in shock. He thought that Teru was pretty much a fun adult with a perfect life and it made him sad that Teru didn’t seem to have a place where he belonged either, just like Ryuji and his friends hadn’t before they formed the Phantom Thieves.

“I honestly don’t know why I’m telling you this kid. I’m sorry, I came here to comfort you and instead I’m moping around about my own life,” Teru said moments later, looking slightly ashamed as Ryuji could hear the guilt in his voice.

“I can be your friend, you’re like super cool,” Ryuji offered, smiling for the first time in days as he swore he could see Teru wipe tears out of his eyes before he cleared his throat.

“Sounds good Ryuji but I do have one condition,” Teru responded, sounding even happier than he usually did.

“You don’t get to…” Ryuji muttered, before Teru held up his hand to interrupt him.

“It’s simple, just tell me what’s going on with you Ryuji. This behavior is not healthy and you need to tell someone before it completely destroys you,” Teru reasoned causing something to break inside Ryuji as he started crying.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Seeing Ryuji cry made Teru get up from his chair as fast as he could before he sat down next to Ryuji, wrapping his arm around the younger boy to comfort him.

“Don’t worry it’ll be okay, Ryuji. I can stay for as long as you need me to,” Teru said, trying his hardest to be a reassuring presence, as a tearful Ryuji turned to him.

“This may sound effin’ stupid…but I really want a hug right now…” he muttered, eyes filled with tears as Teru wrapped both his arms around him.

“It’s not stupid, Ryuji. Like I said, I came here because I want to help you out and if you need a hug I’ll give you a hug,” Teru responded as he let Ryuji cry against his chest.

Teru knew that Ryuji had his fellow Phantom Thieves and that he was seeing a counselor but Teru felt like Ryuji was the kind of kid who also needed a male role model in his life…or maybe it was too presumptuous to think of himself like that.

The kid needed an actual male friend though, a guy who wouldn’t judge him and who would be there for him, and Teru could be that friend. Teru never had someone like that when he grew up and he would make sure Ryuji wouldn’t have to go through not having anyone as he pulled a shaking and sobbing Ryuji closer to him, resolving to be there for the younger boy.

“I thought you only hung out with me because of Sae…” Ryuji blurted out as he looked up at Teru, who looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t meant to give Ryuji that impression. He thought that Ryuji had a lot of fun after he had taken him boxing but apparently he was wrong.

“Why would you think that?” Teru asked as Ryuji broke away from him to face him.

“Because you said so yourself man! You said you were only helping me ‘cause Sae asked you to help me out!” he shouted through his tears, causing Teru to want to punch himself for having blurted that out. He should have known that someone like Ryuji would take that the wrong way, he would have too when he was younger.

“I would’ve never helped you if it wasn’t for Sae asking me, that’s true…” Teru admitted causing Ryuji to look towards the ground before Teru coughed, getting Ryuji’s attention back on him.

“But I would have never taken you to that ramen place if I didn’t find hanging out with you fun. I wouldn’t have let you hit me during our boxing practice either.”

“You let me hit you?” Ryuji asked, looking upset for an entirely different reason.

“You seemed like you needed an outlet, so I purposefully didn’t block some punches,” Teru replied with a smile. “But that’s not important right now, the important part is, is that I care about you Ryuji. I never lied about that.”

“I guess that’s nice then…” Ryuji whispered before he burst into tears again.

“So what’s the other thing that’s bothering you? I can’t imagine I’m the one causing you this heartbreak seeing as you only met me about a week ago,” Teru pointed out as he put his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder to reassure him.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji didn’t know why he was telling Teru how he felt, but he just trusted him…he trusted him enough to tell him what was truly going on as he cleared his throat.

“I…really screwed up in the prison didn’t I, Teru?” he asked quietly, afraid of the answer.

“Well yeah, it certainly wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” Teru confirmed. “But it didn’t really negatively affect anything.”

“But I’m sure Akira hates me for it…” Ryuji muttered through his tears. The idea of Akira hating him for what he did really hurt him more than anything else had ever done.

“Actually, he doesn’t,” Teru said as he pulled out his phone. “Listen for yourself.”

It took Ryuji a moment to realize what Teru was referring to, before he heard Akira’s voice come from the Teru’s phone.

“Hey Ryuji, I can’t really talk much. Tendo-san explained to me that we technically can’t do this but he’s putting his life on the line just like we used to…I just want to tell you that I don’t blame you for your outburst, I think it’s endearing. You’re so passionate and full of fire and even though I’m not there now, I hope that you’ll never lose that fire. I love you Ryuji, don’t forget that…”

* * *

Ryuji felt overwhelmed as the tears streamed down his face. Akira still loved him and he didn’t blame him for what he had done. In fact, it seemed like nothing had changed at all between them as Ryuji realized how messed up he had gotten over the last couple of days.

He was still really messed up…He hadn’t improved as much as he had hoped and that hurt but at least Akira still loved him. That was something, wasn’t it?

He knew he had to thank Teru too, who had seemingly put his job on the line just to help him and Akira out…and Ryuji wanted to know why.

“Teru, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go for it!”

“Why’d you do it? Why’d you record your conversation with Akira?” Ryuji asked, causing Teru to chuckle before his expression turned more serious.

“Because you looked like you needed it Ryuji. I figured it would cheer you up,” he explained as he smiled, causing Ryuji to feel incredibly grateful before he saw Teru reach into his pocket as he pulled out a tie that matched his own.

Ryuji hadn’t noticed it before, but Teru had tied the red tie with the stars he usually wore with his suit around his wrist. It looked a bit odd, but it fit Teru’s lighthearted personality somehow.

“Hold out your arm for me Ryuji,” Teru told him, causing Ryuji to cautiously do so before Teru tied the tie he was holding around Ryuji’s wrist to match the one he had tied around his own wrist.

“What’s that for?” Ryuji asked, sounding a bit surprised.

“It's proof we’re buddies, no matter what happens I’ll always come to help you out,” Teru said as he smiled before he held out his fist to Ryuji.

“Thanks bro,” he muttered as he bumped his fist against Teru’s before he hugged him. He wasn’t going to admit this to Teru right now, but he did need a male friend. He and Yusuke never really connected and with Akira gone, it was tough for him sometimes. He loved Ann, Haru and his other friends, but they were still girls and while he would never think of that as a bad thing he sometimes felt like they didn't quite understand him. It was like they always wanted him to talk about his feelings even though he sometimes didn’t want to. Teru seemed to be more relaxed and let Ryuji decide what to talk about…then again he had just managed to get Ryuji to admit stuff he hadn’t admitted to his other friends, but there was something about him that just made him…really easy to talk to.

* * *

“What are you thinking about kid?” Teru asked him, causing Ryuji to realize he hadn’t let go off him as he quickly did so causing Teru to laugh.

“You can hug me for longer if you want, I’m quite the Terry bear,” Teru joked, smiling softly as he made another pun.

“Did…did you mean what you said Teru?” Ryuji muttered, causing Teru to look at him in surprise.

“About being like a teddy? Well I was mostly joking, but I mean if you want to give me another hug I don’t mind…”

“That you’d help me out…if I wanted you to?” Ryuji clarified quietly, cutting Teru off.

“Yeah of course, why do you ask?” he answered.

“My mom…she’s away on a business trip right now…and I’m all alone and…Things just get really bad at night sometimes and…maybe you could stay?” Ryuji muttered as he looked towards the ground, realizing what he had just blurted out.

Teru probably thought he was weird for asking something like that, he hadn’t known the older man for long after all. He just trusted him somehow. Not that he didn’t trust Ann or Haru, he did, and he knew they would stay over in a heartbeat if he asked. But they also couldn’t deal with him properly if he got upset, seeing as they would just get upset themselves, and Ryuji needed someone who could stay calm around him. Someone who he could talk to about Akira while crying his eyes out.

The more Ryuji thought about it the more he realized that what he just said was probably too much to ask of Teru and he was about to apologize before the older man snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Look at me Ryuji,” Teru told him causing Ryuji to do so. He had expected Teru to laugh or get mad at him, but instead the older man just smiled at him.

“Of course I’ll stay, you don’t have to be strong tonight. I’ll be here kid,” he said, before pointing out that Ryuji should really go out of his room to see his friends. They were still waiting for him inside the living room and they were all really worried about him, smiling when they finally saw Ryuji walk through the door before they threw themselves at him. Hugging him to the ground as they told him all about how worried they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked seeing everyone band together to help Ryuji though. I love the Phantom Thieves as a group of close friends and I feel like I’ve been neglecting that part of the story for a bit so I’m trying to make up for that in this chapter. The fact they all got a PoV here is also practice for my next fic, but more about that on tumblr, where you can find the new teaser which actually goes into that xD  
> I also hope that you guys liked Akira’s little cameo, I really wanted to work something like that in and I hope that Teru bringing a voice recording was a nice surprise for everyone xP
> 
> Also, in case anyone’s even remotely worried ‘bout Teru being a threat for Akira and Ryuji’s relationship don’t worry, Teru’s pining for someone else (which I think I made obvious in previous chapters) so there’s no point worrying about that but I still wanted to put it out there just in case anyone was worried about that xD
> 
> Oh and the “happy” ending is a trap. Just gonna point that out now because next chapter is going to be one of the most intense ones yet as Teru finds out exactly what Ryuji meant when he said nights are tough for him right now :3  
> It’s also the chapter that ends this arc though, so expect an explosive finale because it’s definitely going to be that!
> 
> At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave me a kudo/comment and make sure to check me out on tumblr since I'll upload a new teaser for the upcoming sequel there! I really hope you guys will enjoy what's left of this fic before joining me for the next one, so I hope to see you guys next time!


	21. Strong Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji's breath was uneven, in fact he sounded like he was grasping for air, filling Teru with dread. Ryuji was having a panic attack. A couple of his former clients had had them in the past and it was never pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting right where the last chapter ended, this chapter will slowly wrap up Ryuji’s mental health arc now that I got the final puzzle piece to do so. Of course it will still be referred to later on, it isn’t just going to be completely gone since you can’t erase mental illness, but I got the final thing that can help Ryuji overcome the thing that has bothered him for so long.  
> That being said, Ryuji will go through hell here but luckily there’ll be someone there to catch him this time, however Ryuji may not be as willing to accept help when he’s facing his darkest hour. I’ll also write Ryuji’s struggles a bit different this time, normally we can see right inside his head but this time we’ll see what Ryuji is like through someone else’s eyes.  
> The first part of the chapter is pretty light-hearted btw, so everything going to hell will hopefully catch you by surprise! :3
> 
> This is also the final chapter of the Prison arc so we’ll see the whole juvie story reach its conclusion as well. And make sure to expect a bit of Akira at the end too. How is he doing now I wonder…?

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright? I can stay tonight as well,” Ann insisted after everyone else had left. Yusuke and Futaba were going on a date to see some kind of artsy movie that Ryuji didn’t care about while Makoto had to work on finishing her college application. She, to everyone’s shock, had been neglecting them because of everything that had happened and was in actual trouble if she didn’t start on that soon. Haru had excused herself as well, having to go to another company meeting which seemed to annoy her more than usual. It was as if Haru didn’t really want to follow in her father’s footsteps and lead Okumura Foods at all, she was always complaining about how much of a hassle it was after all.

“I’ll be fine. Teru’s going to stay with me tonight and he’s an adult so I’m sure we’ll be able to manage,” Ryuji told her, trying to reassure her. Ann didn’t seem very convinced though or perhaps there was something else that was bothering her.

“I dunno Ryuji,” she said as she looked away a little. “Can I at least stay until he’s back?”

“If you really want to…” Ryuji muttered, not sure why Ann wanted to stay, but not exactly minding it either.

“I do!” she insisted happily as she gave Ryuji a thumbs-up while he shrugged. He supposed having Ann around would be pretty good. Teru had gone home to get his things so he could properly stay over and at least Ryuji wouldn’t be alone this way. He didn’t want to be alone right now as he felt something stir inside of him before he tried to will it away, succeeding for now.

“Why didn’t you reach out to any of us Ryuji?” Ann asked, sounding sad. “You know we would’ve been there for you…”

“I didn’t feel like I was worth it…” Ryuji admitted as he looked towards the ground. He knew he and Ann had had this conversation before and he hated the fact that everything always seemed to come back to this.

“Oh Ryuji…” Ann muttered before she wrapped her arms around him.

“Ann?”

“I’m sorry Ryuji. I’m sorry you had to go through all of this alone,” she told him, seemingly swallowing her tears before looking at him with a smile. “We’re all always going to be here for you, Ryuji. I promise.”

“It’s not your fault Ann, I pushed you away remember,” Ryuji pointed out as he hugged her back. He did not like how his behavior had affected Ann, and presumably the rest of his friends as well. He hadn’t expected them to feel guilty or upset. He had wanted to keep them from feeling those emotions as he slowly realized that pushing his friends away had achieved the opposite of what he tried to accomplish.

“Can you promise me you’ll tell us next time you feel bad? We’re supposed to fight through these things together, we’re the Phantom Thieves after all!” Ann responded with a smile.

“I promise, I’m sorry for not telling you…” Ryuji promised and he really meant it this time. He would tell his friends, well Ann, Haru…and maybe Teru, in the future at the very least.

* * *

“Are you sure you trust that Teru guy? I mean, isn’t it a bit odd that he wants to stay over despite the fact that you barely know him…” Ann said, after they had talked for a bit, before she got interrupted.

“Because what if he’s one of Shido’s leftover henchman or just out to hurt you…?” Teru, who was standing in the doorway with a duffel bag draped over his shoulder as he was holding grocery bags, said, startling Ann and Ryuji.

“Tendo-san…” Ann muttered as she slapped her hand over her mouth, clearly embarrassed by what she had just implied. Teru hadn't been supposed to hear that for sure.

“Call me Teru, Ann. And I get it, I’m a total stranger who’s invading your group of friends. I may be Akira’s lawyer but I haven’t really done anything to prove you guys can trust me,” Teru said as he put down the grocery bags he was holding.

“No that’s not true, Teru…” Ryuji tried before Teru held up his hand to interrupt him.

“Maybe not to you, but your friends don’t know me. In fact, today is the first time I’ve met Futaba, Yusuke, Haru and of course Ann. It’s no wonder she’d be distrustful,” Teru surmised before he turned towards Ann. “So what can I do to gain your trust? At least give me a chance to prove myself.”

“Take care of Ryuji for us. Promise me you’ll make sure he’ll come back to school and that he talks to his friends whenever things bother him. Be the person that we, that I, couldn’t be for him. If you do that Teru, I’ll trust you. I’m sure we all will,” Ann said, sounding like she was close to tears. It must have been really hard for her to admit that she had no idea how to help him anymore and it made Ryuji sad as he didn’t really know what to say.

“I will. Don’t worry, you’ll get your old Ryuji back by the time I’m done with him!” Teru exclaimed with a smile before giving Ann a thumbs-up.

“But if you fail, I’ll find you. We all will, and there’ll be hell to pay!” Ann responded, her eyes filling with fire as Teru quickly nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good, I guess I’m going to get going then,” Ann pointed out before she headed over to the couch to collect her things.

“Don’t you wanna stay for dinner at least? I got enough to make dinner for 3 people,” Teru offered but Ann shook her head.

“I’ve got a modelling gig tomorrow, so I really have to go!” she explained as she headed over to the door.

“Ann, wait!” Ryuji muttered right before she was about to close the door behind her.

“Ryuji?”

“Thanks…for being there and cleaning up the apartment…You’re one of my best friends, you know that right?” Ryuji whispered before hugging Ann, who had turned towards him, and pulling her close to him.

“You’re one of my best friends too Ryuji,” she responded before returning Ryuji’s hug. They held each other tight before Ann broke away, mentioning that she really had to go before she waved goodbye to both Ryuji and Teru as she closed the door. She seemed less upset than before though, she even looked a little relieved, which made Ryuji happy.

* * *

“So what’s in those bags? I thought you just went home to get your things…” Ryuji asked after Ann had left. He was surprised that Teru had brought what looked like a decent amount of groceries. He had expected him to get some clothes to sleep in and stuff like a toothbrush at most. It did explain why it had taken Teru so long to come back though, which Ryuji had wondered about, momentarily asking himself if Teru had bailed on him, so at least that made sense now.

“I can tell you haven’t been eating properly and based on the fact your mom has been on a trip, I figured you haven’t been doing that for quite a while. I’ll cook for you while I’m here so you at least get some proper food in your system again,” Teru explained before he started unpacking the groceries, raising his eyebrows when he opened the fridge before looking away in disgust. “Why is there spoiled food in here kid?”

“I…uh…well my mom has been gone for about 10 days now and um…” Ryuji muttered, causing Teru to shake his head.

“You got a garbage bag or something? We’re going to throw all this stuff out,” Teru decided, the look in his eyes making it very clear that Ryuji wasn’t allowed to protest.

Ryuji sighed before he started searching for a garbage bag inside the kitchen cabinets. This was like having an older brother and Ryuji wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He was glad that Teru was seemingly looking out for him though, although he still wasn’t 100% sure about what his intentions were.

After they finished cleaning the fridge, Teru decided to start on making dinner, revealing to Ryuji that he was in fact a really good cook.

“I really hope you like it, I’ve put a lot of power into it,” Teru said proudly when he put a bowl of fried rice in front of Ryuji.

“Holy shit, this smells delicious,” Ryuji exclaimed before he decided to dig in. He was right too, the rice was definitely delicious.

“Do you like it?” Teru asked with a smile on his face, causing Ryuji to nod excitedly. He figured that Teru would just scold him if he talked with his mouthful, so he decided against it.

“Can I have a seconds?!” Ryuji asked after he finished his first bowl, causing Teru to tell him to help himself as he pointed towards the pan in which he had prepared the rice.

* * *

“That was so good,” Ryuji muttered after finishing his 4th bowl. He was completely stuffed now as Teru looked at him with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you sure you should’ve eaten that much?”

“Yeah man. To be honest, I was freakin' starving. I’ve only been eating cup noodles for the past week or so…” Ryuji admitted as he looked away in shame. He wasn’t actually proud of that, especially since he did know how to cook.

“You did what?” Teru shouted in disbelief as he glared at Ryuji. “Do I need to tell you how bad that is?”

“You don’t,” Ryuji retorted, getting a bit annoyed with Teru’s overbearing and worried attitude.

“Just don’t do that anymore, okay?” Teru said, still sounding a bit concerned before he started cleaning up the things he used to cook.

“So what’s next?” Ryuji asked, unsure how the evening would proceed. It was way too early to go to bed, but he wasn’t sure what to do with a friend that was like 9 years older than him.

“What do you normally do?” Teru responded, not looking away from the dishes.

“Well I just play video games or read manga but you’re probably…” Ryuji answered before Teru cut him off.

“If you’re going to say I’m too old for that, I’m going to hit you on the head you know?” Teru said with a scowl on his face. “I’m a teen at heart.”

“So…?” Ryuji muttered, unsure how to respond to that.

“We can go do those things right after I finish these dishes,” Teru smiled. “Which would go a lot faster if you’d help out.”

Ryuji quickly grabbed a towel to dry the dishes Teru had cleaned, feeling embarrassed at how he was just standing there while he let Teru do all the work.

“Atta boy, Ryuji!” Teru exclaimed, causing Ryuji to make a face at him while Teru just laughed.

* * *

“Whoa kid, saying your room’s messy is an understatement,” Teru said the moment he walked into Ryuji’s room. It was the only part of the apartment that Ann hadn’t cleaned up and you could definitely see that Ryuji had pretty much lived in his room for the past week.

“Um…” Ryuji stammered, feeling embarrassed.

“Yeah, no games or manga until we’ve cleaned all of this,” Teru decided before he dropped his duffel bag on the floor.

“Aww, man. Do we have to?” Ryuji complained. He did not want to sound like a little kid, but he didn’t enjoy cleaning his room at all, especially not when it was in a state like this.

“Considering I’m sleeping on the floor, yes. Yes we have to,” Teru pointed out before he started gathering all the trash that was on the floor. “Are you going to help me or what?”

Ryuji quickly joined in after that, not wanting to get on Teru’s bad side.

* * *

“So why’d you put the airbed this close to my bed?” Ryuji asked after Teru had finished pumping up the airbed he had brought with him.

“So I can protect you, obviously. I’m going be your hero tonight Ryuji!” Teru said excitedly while giving Ryuji a thumbs-up.

“If you say so…” Ryuji responded, looking away slightly.

“What’s wrong kid?” Teru asked, sounding concerned once again as he raised his eyebrows.

“Why do you help me out so much? We don’t really know each other much at all,” Ryuji blurted out, instantly regretting it when he saw the same hurt look he had seen on Teru’s face before. However this time, the look didn’t fade, growing more intense as Teru looked at his feet.

“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding very much unlike himself. Teru’s voice was normally filled with confidence or excitement, but he just sounded sad now.

“Wait what?” Ryuji asked, confused.

“I know I can be a bit intense sometimes. I just really want to help you kids out, you especially. I can tone it down if it makes you uncomfortable though…” Teru whispered, looking away as he did.

“I…don’t? I just don’t effin’ get it man. Why me?” Ryuji clarified, hoping he could somehow make Teru feel less sad.

“We’re pretty similar, you know? I can see a lot of myself in you and I don’t want you to make the mistakes I made. I told you my story right? I never had anyone look out for me…and I don’t want you to go through the same thing…” Teru explained softly.

“I see…” Ryuji muttered, unsure how to respond. At least he understood Teru’s intentions now, which was a good thing in a way.

“I probably shouldn’t have forced it onto you though and for that I apologize. Just felt like you need a bro, you know?”

“It’s fine Teru. I was just curious. I’m glad you’re here!” Ryuji exclaimed, causing Teru to smile at him.

“I’m glad to be here too. Makes me feel like I can do more for you guys than just get your boyfriend out of jail,” Teru said with a cheeky smile, causing Ryuji to throw his pillow at the other guys face. Unlike last time, Teru didn’t see it coming causing him to fall backwards on his airbed before he laughed.

“Guess you got me this time Ryuji,” Teru chuckled before he stood up. “I’m just going to change into some more comfortable clothes. I’ll be back in a bit.”

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Teru sighed when he had gone into the bathroom, quickly taking off his clothes before changing into a pair of sweatpants as he reached into his duffel bag to get a clean shirt to sleep in before hearing a crash in the other room. He hastily pulled his shirt out of his bag, not even bothering to put it on, before running back to Ryuji’s room only to find the boy curled up in a ball on the ground.

Ryuji's breath was uneven, in fact he sounded like he was grasping for air, filling Teru with dread. Ryuji was having a panic attack. A couple of his former clients had had them in the past and it was never pretty.

“Ryuji?” Teru said as he kneeled down next to where the boy was curled up before putting his hand on Ryuji’s shoulder. Teru could feel Ryuji tense at his touch, but he knew he had to make contact with him somehow.

“Can you hear me?”

Ryuji looked up at Teru at that moment, eyes going wide with terror as he looked at him, before he slapped Teru’s hand away.

“It’s fine Ryuji, I’m only here to help,” Teru soothed, as he tried to wrap his arms around Ryuji to hug him. That turned out to be a mistake as Ryuji pushed Teru back with enough force to send him crashing with his back against the wall.

Teru let out a gasp as he cursed himself for not having put a shirt on. He looked at his arm, quickly realizing he had somehow cut it open as he was bleeding, before making his way back to Ryuji.

“Ryuji…do you know who I am?” he asked cautiously, causing the boy to blink a couple of times before he seemed to recognize him.

“T-Teru?” he muttered before he started hyperventilating.

“Yeah, it’s me buddy,” Teru responded with a smile.

“I…I…I…I…sorry…” Ryuji stammered in-between his ragged breaths as Teru eyed him with worry.

“Do you want me to hug you Ryuji?” he asked. He didn’t want to get pushed into the wall again but he knew physical contact was important and hugging Ryuji was the best way to achieve that.

Ryuji looked like he was about to say something but he just nodded as he started crying, causing Teru to wrap his arms around Ryuji.

“B-blood?” Ryuji muttered as he put his arms on Teru’s back.

“Don’t worry about me Ryuji, let’s just focus on you right now. You can feel my breathing right? Just try and breathe with me. We’ll calm you down in no time,” Teru whispered softly. He was whispering on purpose, to force Ryuji to focus on his voice instead of on anything else.

Teru could feel his back throbbing, and Ryuji had confirmed he was bleeding, but he ignored it. He had to take care of Ryuji first and he could just worry about himself later.

* * *

It only took a couple of minutes before Ryuji’s breathing got steady again. He was still sobbing as he held on to Teru like his life depending on it.

“Can you talk to me Ryuji? Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Teru asked before he shivered. He was getting really cold, seeing as he still wasn't wearing his shirt, and he was covered in his own blood.

“You should probably clean yourself up first…” Ryuji pointed out, signaling he was feeling a little better, but Teru shook his head.

“What if you get another panic attack while I’m gone? I’m not leaving your side,” Teru protested.

“I’ll come with you then. We just need to get you a wet towel and some bandages don’t we?” Ryuji responded, causing Teru to give in before he noticed that Ryuji could barely walk.

“Ryuji, you’re not walking like that!” Teru pointed out, managing to grab Ryuji’s arm before he fell over as Teru helped him sit on his bed.

“But I wanted you to take care of yourself too…” Ryuji muttered as he looked away, causing Teru to feel a little bit of shame. He was constantly telling Ryuji to take care of himself but here he was, doing the exact thing he told Ryuji not to do.

“I’ll go get a towel myself. They’re in the bathroom along with some bandages, right? You just make sure you stay relaxed,” Teru decided. Ryuji would just focus on Teru’s injury if he didn’t fix it after all. He could also finally put his shirt on, which he had completely forgotten to do because Ryuji’s well-being had been distracting him.

When Teru, now wearing a shirt after he cleaned had blood off of his back and bandaged the cut on his arm, reentered the room he found Ryuji fast asleep. He decided to lay down on his airbed himself when he noticed that it was actually past 10pm already. Teru figured the panic attack had tired the poor kid out before he started feeling tired himself, causing him to slowly fall asleep.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

_“Don’t leave daddy…” a ten-year old Ryuji muttered before his dad slammed the door in his face. Ryuji didn’t care about the door though. He opened it to run after his dad, clinging to his leg when he reached him._

_His dad looked at him in disgust before he shook him off, giving him a kick for good measure after Ryuji fell back._

_“Don’t touch me Ryuji. You’re a weak kid. You were never any good. You’re the reason me and your mother divorced, you make everyone around you miserable!” his dad yelled at him before he slowly disappeared, leaving Ryuji behind as he seemed to drown in a puddle of his own tears._

_Ryuji, now at his current age, continued crying before he saw his friends, aside from Akira, walking up to him. They were laughing happily as he waved towards them. The moment he did, their faces turned to disgust as they looked at him._

_“God, look who it is?” Ann snarled._

_“It’s that delinquent, pay no attention to him Ann-chan,” Haru said, smiling slyly as she looked at Ryuji in disgust._

_“What…what do you guys mean? We’re friends, right?” Ryuji muttered, shocked by what he just heard._

_“Friends? Don’t make me laugh!” Makoto laughed maniacally._

_“It’s your fault Akira is in jail. We hate you for that Ryuji!” Futaba added, clinging to Yusuke’s arm._

_“Now get out of our sight. You’re ruining the aesthetics of this place with your filthy presence,” Yusuke told him as Ryuji could feel his tears stream freely now as he suddenly found himself surrounded by an ocean of tears._

_He fell to his knees before his friends disappeared in the ocean, being replaced by Akira…and Morgana shortly after._

_“It’s your fault we’re dead Ryuji,” the cat told him before he turned to Akira. “I told you he was too dumb to be a part of the Phantom Thieves.”_

_“You…you’re dead?” Ryuji muttered before he turned to Akira, the flesh melting off his face to reveal just a skull causing Ryuji to scream._

_“I got the death penalty because you screwed up. It’s all your fault Ryuji. Ask your new friend,” Skull-Akira said before he pointed behind Ryuji._

_Ryuji slowly turned around to see Teru standing behind him. Teru looked miserable, his suit had been torn to pieces and he looked like he was bleeding all over the place._

_“They came after me after I failed protecting you, you and Akira. It’s all your fault Ryuji. I’m like this because I got involved with you. You cause everyone in your life misery…look at me…” Teru said before Ryuji heard a gunshot as Teru fell to the ground._

_“Guess they got him too,” Skull-Akira cackled causing Ryuji to scream loudly._

_I_ _t was all his fault, it was all his fault everyone hated him before a gun appeared in front of him._

_“Do it, Ryuji”_

_“Do it, do it, do it, do it,” he could hear everyone’s voices tell him as he reached for the gun. Dropping it right before he was about to pull the trigger, not even able to take his own life to rid everyone of him._

_“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” he muttered, before he heard a different voice calling out to him as the world around him disappeared._

_“Ryuji!”_

_“Ryuji wake up!”_

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

It was around 3am when Teru woke up because he heard Ryuji crying.

“Ryuji?” he asked, feeling sleepy, before he heard Ryuji scream. The scream woke Teru right up as he moved over to Ryuji’s bed immediately.

“Ryuji! Ryuji wake up!” Teru yelled as he shook Ryuji’s arm, causing the boy to open his eyes as he looked at Teru in fear. Ryuji seemed terrified to say the very least, soaked in sweat as he was breathing heavily.

“T-Teru? You’re not dead?” Ryuji muttered, before he started to cry causing Teru to sit down next to Ryuji before he wrapped his arm around him.

“You were just having a nightmare kid, but that’s alright. Your hero is here now,” Teru smiled reassuringly as he let Ryuji cry. He wondered what kind of dream would make Ryuji have such a strong reaction as he could feel that Ryuji was shivering.

“It’s all my fault…” Ryuji whispered sadly as he hugged his knees causing Teru to feel a bit worried. He didn’t know that much about Ryuji, but this seemed to be rooted deeper than he had originally thought.

“What is your fault Ryuji?” Teru asked carefully. He didn't want to upset Ryuji further but he knew that he needed to know what was bothering Ryuji to be able to help him.

“Everything…”

“Come on Ryuji, you gotta tell me more than that. You can trust me,” Teru reasoned, feeling wide awake now. He felt sad seeing Ryuji like this, it reminded him of himself when he was younger, and he was going to try his hardest to fix it.

“I always cause everyone pain and misery Teru, you should get away from me…” Ryuji whispered as he started pushing Teru away.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily Ryuji. Besides, we both know that’s not true. Your friends love you. Akira loves you. You’re quite fun to be around when you’re not moping,” Teru pointed out as he casually petted Ryuji’s back. “Why do you feel that way?”

“Because of my dad…” Ryuji muttered before he looked away. He clearly hadn’t meant to say that, but Teru was happy that he slipped up. It gave him something to work with.

“What’s with your dad?” Teru inquired, after deciding he was going to get to the bottom of this.

“…I don’t wanna talk about it,” Ryuji whispered, causing Teru to let out a sigh.

“Ryuji look at me,” he said, causing Ryuji to look at Teru. Teru could see Ryuji was really hurt, he was still crying, and it made him want to help Ryuji even more.

“You can trust me, I won’t leave you behind like others seemingly have. You can’t hurt me, I’ve been hurt enough to know that,” Teru explained, sighing as he decided to reveal more about his past to Ryuji. Maybe it would get him to open up.

“My parents hated me when I was growing up, you know? They never supported or cared much about me until I told them I wanted to become a lawyer. Things changed around then, and I was happy I made them proud even if it meant I had to lose myself in the progress but after I left my job…” Teru paused, the painful memories hitting him stronger than he had expected as he sniffled.

“What happened?” Ryuji asked, looking up at him and seeming genuinely interested. At least he seemed to have forgotten about his own troubles for a moment.

Teru hesitated for a moment before he reached for the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up to reveal a scar that ran along the lower side of his abdomen.

“My father did this to me before breaking off all contact with me. I know I should’ve pressed charges, as a lawyer I know that, but they’re still my parents…I love them, even if they hate me and think I’m a disappointment…”

“Dude…” Ryuji muttered, seemingly shocked by what Teru had just told him.

“My point is, I know what it’s like to have shitty parents, so there’s a chance I understand what you’re going through…or went through,” Teru explained, before he rubbed his eyes. He was not going to cry in front of Ryuji. He was going to be strong for this kid, despite the incident with his own dad only happening a few months ago.

“He left me and my mom when I was young…He was an alcoholic who used to beat the both of us, always told me I was a terrible kid and that everything was my fault. You start believing that effin’ shit y’know? The more they tell you, the more you start believing it. There was similar shit and school and I always…It always comes down to this. I screw up and cause people misery. I mean, if it wasn’t for me losing my shit Akira would’ve been able to get visitors…I always do shit like that Teru, my dad was right, I am a screw-up…” Ryuji explained before looking towards the ground. He looked like he was about to cry again before Teru pulled him a bit closer to reassure him.

“It’s not your fault Ryuji. It’s just the kind of guys we are and there’s nothing wrong with that. We think with our gut and emotions and sure that gets us in dicey situations sometimes but you got a big heart because of it. I know you do, I’ve already seen it!” Teru pointed out, smiling at Ryuji.

“You think so?” Ryuji asked, sounding surprised.

“Of course I do. You care so much about Akira and about your friends. Heck you even care a lot about me already. All of that shows how big your heart is. You think that you always screw everyone over, but do you really think any of us would still be here if that was true? Would we stick around?” Teru reasoned before noticing that Ryuji’s expression seemed to brighten a little. Maybe he was on to something here.

“I guess not…” Ryuji muttered as he slowly seemed to realize that not everything was his fault.

“So what does that mean?” Teru asked, hoping Ryuji would be able to figure it out on his own.

“That…people like being around me?” Ryuji asked, sounding insecure as he looked towards his knees.

“Bingo!” Teru yelled excitedly before he let out a huge yawn. He had forgotten it was in the middle of the night. “Is there anything else that’s bothering you, because it may be best if we continue talking in the morning otherwise?”

Ryuji seemed to agree with that question, wishing each other goodnight before both of them went back to sleep…

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

When Ryuji woke up the next day he felt strangely elated. Talking to Teru, despite the fact that it had been 3 in the morning, had really helped him put things into perspective. That is, until he looked around and saw that Teru was nowhere to be found…

“That bastard…he really did just up and leave…” Ryuji muttered to himself, unable to contain his anger. Teru had lied to him all night as Ryuji figured he had just said all those things to get him to shut up.

Ryuji gritted his teeth as he walked into the living room, he had to make some breakfast for himself at least. Teru had been right about one thing and that was that he should at least take care of himself, but he would never listen to anything else the man had to say ever again.

At least that’s what Ryuji thought until he saw Teru standing behind the stove, making what smelled like eggs and bacon, as he casually greeted Ryuji.

“T-Teru?” Ryuji muttered, forgetting all about his anger as he stared at the older man in shock. He was convinced Teru had left, but here he was. He looked exhausted, but he tried to mask it with a cocky grin as he motioned for Ryuji to make his way over to the kitchen.

“Morning sleepyhead, do you know what time it is?” Teru said cheerfully as he finished up the breakfast he was making. “I know it’s not a traditional Japanese breakfast but bacon and eggs always wake me right up after a rough night and I was hoping it’d work for you too!”

Ryuji couldn’t help but feel his eyes fill with tears, causing Teru to look at him in worry.

“You’re not allergic to eggs are you? Or is it the bacon? I’m such an egghead sometimes, I totally forgot to ask,” Teru said as he slapped his hand against his forehead.

“It’s not that, it’s just that you stayed. You didn’t leave me behind,” Ryuji muttered, as he wiped the tears from his eyes, causing relief to wash over Teru’s face immediately.

“Of course not, I told you last night didn’t I? You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Teru responded with a grin before he handed Ryuji a plate filled with eggs and bacon. “Now eat up, you don’t want it to get cold!”

“I will, thanks man!” Ryuji responded before sitting down to enjoy his breakfast. He was grateful Teru had stayed the night, it had really helped him.

* * *

“So…when’s your mom going to be home kid?” Teru asked after they had finished eating their breakfast.

“Not for another 10 days or so…” Ryuji muttered, facing the reality that after today he would have to be alone again. He couldn’t possibly ask Teru to stay for that long, that’d be way too much to ask.

“Alright, it’s settled then! I’ll stay here and take care of you for the next 10 days. There’s no way I’m leaving you alone after tonight and you still need to show me those video games and manga,” Teru exclaimed as he puffed up his chest proudly.

“For real?!…You...you’re serious?” Ryuji stammered, stunned by what Teru just offered.

“Unless you don’t want me to? Maybe I got a little carried away…” Teru laughed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“No, no. I do…You just caught me by surprise man! I…really do need this right now and I’d be really grateful if you’d stay!” Ryuji responded before he gave Teru a hug, catching the older man by surprise.

“What’s that for?” Teru laughed before he decided to return the hug.

“For not leaving…I really thought you would,” Ryuji muttered before he let go off Teru.

“Told ya, you can’t get rid of this Terry bear,” Teru chuckled, causing Ryuji to punch his arm. “What?”

“Do you have to tell those jokes?”

“They’re puns. Puns, Ryuji. And yes, they’re always amazing,” Teru said, smiling proudly at Ryuji.

“Can I still go boxing with you too?” Ryuji asked after a little bit.

“Of course you can, I think you need an outlet for all that emotion and boxing always helps for me. We’ll get you a proper membership too!” Teru exclaimed excitedly before pumping his fists in the air. “Alright! I’m super excited for this!”

“Excited for what?”

“Oh I totally forgot to mention this, but Sae’s meeting with Miki Ishida today…” Teru said before putting his hand over his mouth. He had not been supposed to say that.

“WHAT?!”

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

Sae did feel bad for not informing Ryuji about her meeting with Miki, but after the stunt he pulled at the prison she couldn’t take any chances. This had to go well and they only had one chance. After Futaba had managed to find Miki’s phone number Sae had contacted her and she had agreed to meet with her and Makoto after a lot of persuading on their part.

Miki had insisted on meeting at the diner in Shibuya, not wanting to go to what she referred to as a “stuffy” law office, which was where Sae was waiting for her now.

“Niijima-san?” a young blonde woman asked.

“That is correct, I assume you’re Miki Yagami?” Sae responded courteously, exchanging a glance with Makoto who was seated next to her, before the woman sat down across from them.

“That’s me, although I did not quite understand why you, a public prosecutor, would want to meet with someone like me…” Miki said, sounding unsure about her decision to meet with Sae.

“I’m here to meet with you about the incident that you were involved last year. You were involved in an abuse case, weren’t you?” Sae asked, getting straight to the point. Something about Miki made her instantly dislike her and she wasn’t sure what it was and it made her want to get this over with as soon as possible.

“That’s right, but that was solved…That kid got what was coming to him,” Miki whispered, although she didn’t seem to believe in her own words.

“You know that’s not true! You know he’s innocent!” Makoto yelled, causing Sae to look over to her sister in shock. She had not expected Makoto to have an outburst like that and it certainly wouldn't help their case.

“Well…um…you know what the judge said…” Miki muttered. “If there’s nothing else you’d like to discuss I’d like to go now…”

“Please Miki-san. If you’d revise your testimony to tell the true story I will make sure you’re protected from Shido’s henchman,” Sae tried, but Miki shook her head.

“I'm not a dumb blonde, I know it's still perjury, I don’t want that on my record. I am really sorry, but I won’t change my mind,” Miki muttered as she looked away.

Sae sighed, momentarily looking down as she felt herself losing hope again. Miki was the last chance they had and if she wouldn’t cooperate both her case and Akira’s fate were sealed…

“Not even for love?” Sae could hear a familiar voice ask before realizing Ryuji was standing right next to their table at this point, Teru following closely behind him.

Teru mouthed an “I’m sorry” at her causing her to let out another sigh, leave it to that blabbermouth to tell Ryuji everything.

“And who are you?” Miki asked, sounding genuinely surprised as Ryuji's appearance.

“I’m…Akira’s boyfriend. Akira’s the guy who’s in jail because of your false testimony…and he’s been through a lot the past year…This can ruin his life, and mine…” Ryuji muttered as he looked like he was fighting against his tears. “So please, please save his life…”

Sae was shocked to see Ryuji bow his head, and even more surprised to see Teru follow suit soon after although she figured he was just going with the flow at this point.

To Sae’s surprise, Miki’s expression mellowed as she turned towards Ryuji.

“Do you love him?” she asked, sounding genuine.

“I do, I love him more than anything and I would do anything to make sure he gets treated fairly so please…please do this one thing for us,” Ryuji answered.

“Niijima-san,” Miki said as she turned towards Sae. “I changed my mind. I will testify against Shido. That man has ruined my life but I cannot stand by and watch him destroy their young love. I will even face the perjury charges if I have to…”

“Are you serious?” Sae gasped, completely shocked by what was going on. This normally only worked in fiction, not in real life.

“I am. I don’t know much about their situation but these kids sound like they deserve their happy ending…”

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

It was the 13th of February and to Akira’s surprise, he was being processed for release. Teru was sitting next to him, constantly reassuring him that he would finally be free but he had trouble processing that. Things had been crazy for the last couple of weeks. After Sae had managed to get in touch with Miki things had really gone fast. She, along with Makoto and Ryuji, had managed to convince her to testify against Shido and his case had been a done deal after that. Furthermore, because of Miki’s confession the original charges against Akira were dropped and the fact that Shido was declared guilty the other charges were dropped as well. There was also something about evidence being inconclusive, Teru had explained it to him, but he was too overwhelmed to focus on that when Teru had explained it to him.

“You guys should be glad my client isn’t suing for compensation. He has been wrongfully detained for way too long you know,” Teru pointed out, talking to the warden, who seemed to be shaking with fear.

“Yes…yes we’re very glad. I would once again like to emphasize how sorry we are. We were just acting under orders…” the warden rambled. To Akira’s surprise he actually seemed to genuinely mean what he said, causing him to wonder how many people Shido had controlled. Then again, Akira wasn’t sure whether Shido was even in control. He wouldn’t be surprised if Yaldabaoth had manipulated everything that had happened over the past year, including Shido, just to play his sick game. He momentarily wondered about just how powerful the god had been, before Teru put his hand on Akira’s shoulder.

“Are you ready to go?” Teru asked, snapping Akira out of his thoughts as he nodded. He definitely was ready to leave this place behind.

* * *

When Akira got outside he saw there was a giant van waiting for him, his friends, Sojiro, Sae and Kawakami standing in front of it. He saw their expressions change the moment they saw him come out of the building, looks of happiness spreading across their faces as they excitedly waved at him.

He ran over to his friends, Teru following behind him before he quickened his pace to stand next to Sae, as he could feel the sunlight tingle on his skin. He missed being outside, but more importantly, he missed being around his friends as each of them hugged him.

Finally, Akira made his way over to Ryuji who embraced him as he pulled him close.

“You’re back…” he whispered softly, sounding like he was about to burst into happy tears.

“I’m home,” Akira answered with a smile before he leaned in to kiss Ryuji, not caring that his friends were all there. He, and Ryuji for that matter, had waited for so long and they deserved this as their friends erupted in cheers around them.

It was finally over, this, this was their happy ending.

**End of Arc 3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to include a little bit of the Ann/Ryuji friendship at the start, so I hope you guys enjoyed that!  
> This is also the second time I write Ryuji having a panic attack, although Teru is a lot better at helping him through it than the others were. I hope I was able to convey that having proper support during panic attacks can actually make them go away faster and I hoped you liked how I wrote it. Also, if you don’t like Teru after how much he helped Ryuji out, I don’t know what will make you like him xD Although there's one more chapter (23) in the future where he helps Ryuji out, so please keep your eyes peeled for that.
> 
> Sorry ‘bout the timeskip near the end btw, but I didn’t want to drag out the prison story more than I already did. I’ve included all the parts, obviously, but after thinking about it for a while I decided to cut Shido’s trial (which I was originally going to write) and move on straight to Akira’s release. Besides the chapter was getting incredibly long because of Ryuji and Teru's eventful evening and I didn’t want to make it even longer.
> 
> Also another thing you guys may notice is that unlike in the game, Morgana is still very much gone. I wonder if there’s a reason for that, don’t you? :O (There probably is xP)
> 
> At any rate, I promised an explosive finale and I hope I delivered. Next chapter we’ll start of the final(!) arc with a very romantic ensemble chapter. It’ll mainly feature Akiryu, but we’ll see how everyone spends their Valentine’s Day so I hope you’re excited to see what I came up with! So join me next time and of course take a look at my tumblr for the newest teaser which will reveal some exciting plot points for Gods & Games: http://raindene.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> As always, leave a kudo/comment if you like what you see! I love hearing from you guys after all. Oh and don't be afraid to give constructive criticism too, I love ways to improve my writing and I can always improve!


	22. Love, Love, Love!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji certainly knew how to plan a perfect date. At least that was something Akira was still certain about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This arc will be pretty light-hearted after all the drama we’ve seen in the past 2 arcs as the story slowly wraps itself up.  
> It’s Valentine’s Day and with Akira being fresh out of jail, Ryuji tries to create the best date possible! We’ll also get a look into the love lives of two other pairings, while another group has a couple of heart to hearts! I hope you guys will like the fact that we get to see more of the others now, because that’ll be par for the course in the sequel. Speaking of the sequel, this arc contains heavy foreshadowing so I hope you guys spot that and that you’ll like to see where I take all of this ^_^  
> In fact, this arc was added just to create a bridge to the sequel, considering last chapter’s ending was the original ending. Pretty much means that everything going forward is to set up Gods & Games which you'll soon find out more about as well xD
> 
> On a chapter-related note. Not all of this is completely chronological, but I wanted to split the Akiryu and the other parts equally xD Oh and the work-in-progress title for (from the teaser I posted about 2 months ago (?)) was “I love you” but I changed it considering the story really evolved since then and "Love, Love, Love!" seems more accurate.  
> You'll get why xP

**Arc 4 - Endings and Beginnings**

**Sae Niijima**

Sae sighed as she let herself drop on her couch. Another Valentine’s Day without having anyone to share it with. She always thought she didn’t mind that much but after working closely together with Teru over the past weeks she had realized that she had in fact developed feelings for him. Feelings that had probably been around for much longer than she had realized. He was just so…adorable and he always made her feel good whenever he was in the same room as her.

She was aware that there had been a time where Teru had feelings for her, he had clumsily asked her out a couple of times in the past but she had always said she was too busy. And that had never been a lie, she had been really focused on her career and she honestly felt like she just didn’t have time for romance.

Part of her had been afraid too, she had had a really tough life ever since her dad passed away and she hadn’t been ready to accept another man into her life. Especially since she had to take care of both herself and Makoto.

There was no way Teru was still interested now though, he couldn’t be. Not after all these years and she kind of regretted not going for it when she had to chance.

He had proven once again that, despite the fact that he sometimes acted like a child, he was very dependable and got things done if he put his mind to it and there was just something about his personality that spoke to her. Perhaps it was a case of opposites attract, considering they were different in a lot of ways but she really, really did like him.

Not that those thoughts mattered, there was no chance he felt the same way as Sae allowed herself to slouch before browsing her movie catalogue. She was going to eat chocolate and binge-watch romantic comedies all day. She deserved that after all the work she had done over the past months and besides, what else was she supposed to do on Valentine’s Day?

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“…And that’s how you control the sound system. Think you can handle all of that Ryuji?” Futaba asked after she finished explaining how to use the system they, although mostly her, had installed.

“I think so, I just press this and the playlist starts playing right?” Ryuji asked, wanting to make sure he knew how everything worked. It wasn’t like he was bad with technology himself, but Futaba had programmed an application that would play a playlist while simultaneously controlling the lights they had set up inside Leblanc and there was no way he could’ve done that himself…so he had to make sure he knew how to get it to work properly.

He was surprised Sojiro had even allowed them to set something like that up but the man had said something about how no one was ever visiting the café on Valentine’s Day so he could just close up and leave Ryuji to do his thing for Akira. In fact, everyone had been incredibly supportive of Ryuji’s idea to make today’s Valentine’s Day special for Akira.

It had only been yesterday that Akira had been released from prison but Ryuji had decided to create the ultimate date for Valentine’s Day and everyone was helping him out.

Makoto was making sure Akira wouldn’t be at Leblanc until the evening, having picked him up in the morning to make sure he was “caught up” on everything that had happened. This was obviously just a ruse to get him out of the café but Ryuji was glad that Makoto had come up with that, there was no way he would have.

Ann and Haru were currently picking up groceries and clothes for Ryuji, and they would come by soon to help him with the final preparations. Ryuji just hoped they wouldn’t pick clothes that were too embarrassing...

Meanwhile Yusuke and Futaba had helped him prepare the café, after they had received Sojiro’s blessing, spending most of the morning and afternoon setting up lights while Futaba had been busy programming her application.

“That’s right, you’ll totally reap the rewards for this quest!” Futaba said excitedly before Yusuke looked at his watch.

“I hate to cut this short, but we should really go Futaba. We don’t want to be late at the restaurant,” he pointed out, causing Futaba to look like she was about to freak out.

“But I still need to get my dress and I thought we had so much time…” she rambled, causing Yusuke and Ryuji to laugh at her.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine Futaba. Just go home, get dressed and enjoy your evening. And thank you both for your help, I really appreciate it!” Ryuji laughed, causing Futaba to glare at him before she and Yusuke said their goodbyes.

Ryuji thought he could catch his breath for a moment but Yusuke and Futaba had barely gone out the door before Ann and Haru walked in as Ryuji stared at them in shock. Ann was carrying two huge grocery bags, Ryuji sincerely hoping that wasn’t just for him and Akira, while Haru was holding what looked like a bag from an expensive clothing store.

“Don’t you worry ‘bout the price Ryuji! These are on me,” Haru pointed immediately, as if she sensed Ryuji’s worry. There was no way he could afford clothes like that after all.

“Are you sure that’s okay…? I mean you really didn’t have to do that Haru…” Ryuji muttered, surprised by her kind gesture. Although it wasn’t that surprising considering Haru often got him and the other Phantom Thieves gifts without wanting anything in return.

“Yes, of course it is!” Haru exclaimed before handing him the bag. “Now go change, I want to see how it looks!”

* * *

When Ryuji walked back downstairs, he had gone upstairs to change, both Haru and Ann looked stunned.

“Wow…” Haru muttered, clearly admiring the clothes they had picked out for him, while Ann gave him a thumbs-up. Ryuji had to admit they had done a pretty decent job. They had gotten him a grey dress-shirt, a small skull embroidered on the upper left, and matching black jeans.

“Can you help me tie this?” he said as he held out the grey tie he had found with the rest of the clothes. He didn’t particularly want to admit it, but he couldn’t tie a tie to save his life even though he knew it would make his outfit look even better than it already did.

“Of course,” Ann said, hopping off the bar stool she was sitting on to help Ryuji out as she tied the tie around his neck.

“Just like that,” she chimed after she had finishing tying the tie around Ryuji’s neck.

“You look really charming Ryuji,” Haru said as she clapped her hands, looking proud of her and Ann’s handiwork.

“You guys think so?” Ryuji asked, sounding a tad insecure. He normally never wore stuff like this, preferring hoodies and t-shirts, but Ann and Haru both had a great sense of fashion so he trusted them.

“Yes!” both of them answered at the same time as they started laughing.

“So have you gotten everything ready for the big night?” Ann asked, sounding curious.

“I think so, did you guys get everything I wanted?”

“We sure did! Although we also got stuff for our own girls’ night so we’ll be taking one of the grocery bags with us!” Haru pointed out with a smile.

“Girls’ night?”

“Yeah! Me, Haru and Makoto are having a get-together at my place tonight since we’re all single right now. It’ll be our fun girl get-together. Nothing you need to worry about!” Ann explained, causing Ryuji to make a face at her which made both her and Haru laugh.

* * *

Ryuji talked to Ann and Haru for a while, going over the plans for his date with them one more time to reassure him it was fine, before they decided to go get ready for their own evening, leaving Ryuji alone in the café. Ryuji was relieved he was done with all his preparations, he still had 90 minutes before Akira was going to be back so maybe he could take a bit of time to unwind before Akira was here.

“Knock knock,” he heard a familiar voice say, causing him to jump up from his seat as he looked behind him to reveal Teru standing in the doorway.

“I’d have knocked, but the door was open,” the older man smiled before heading inside the café. “So this is Leblanc, huh?”

“You’ve never been here before?” Ryuji responded, causing Teru to nod affirmatively. “So why are you here, Teru?”

“Just checking on my lil’ buddy,” he answered as he moved over to ruffle Ryuji’s hair. “But it looks like you’ve gotten everything taken care off. I’m impressed!”

“Thanks, and not the hair Teru!” Ryuji laughed as he pushed Teru’s hand away, hoping he hadn’t done a lot of damage.

“So you don’t need help with anything?” the older man clarified, looking bored and a bit...sad. Ryuji was a bit surprised that Teru decided to check on him before a realization hit him. Teru didn’t have his own plans for Valentine’s Day despite him having the biggest crush on Sae. Anyone could see that.

It would explain why he was dressed the way he was. Teru was wearing a sweater and a pair of sweatpants which was such a big change from what he usually wore that Ryuji was actually taken aback by it. It looked like he had actually given up for once and it made Ryuji feel sad. Teru was kind of an example to him since he was always confident...and to see him like this was like he himself was down in the dumps again.

“I don’t, but you look like you do,” Ryuji pointed out, figuring that he could finally do something for Teru by pushing him in the direction he needed to head in.

“What do you mean?” Teru responded, looking confused.

“Why aren’t you asking Sae out, man? She’s totally into you!” Ryuji exclaimed, causing Teru’s face to turn red.

“Um…no…she made that very clear before…” he muttered as he looked at his feet.

“So that’s why you dress like a slob on Valentine’s Day?” Ryuji responded.

“It’s not that bad…”

“It really is, and that’s coming from me dude!” Ryuji pointed out as he punched Teru’s arm. “Seriously though, go for it Teru. What do you have to lose anyway?”

“I just don’t want her to reject me again…” Teru explained sadly, still looking at his feet, sounding very insecure and unlike himself.

“Okay then how about this. Give it one more chance. You inspired me to never give up when I was down, you owe it to me to do the same!” Ryuji said, trying to spur Teru on.

To Ryuji’s surprise Teru’s expression brightened with what looked like newfound confidence as he punched his fist into the air.

“You know what?! You’re right! I’ll give it one more chance, thanks Ryuji!” Teru said before he jumped up from his chair as he headed towards the door. “You don’t need anything else, right? I’ve gotta run if I want to ask her out properly!”

“I don’t! Good luck, man!” Ryuji yelled after Teru with a smile on his face.

“Thanks kid!” Teru yelled back, causing Ryuji’s smile to grow wider. He was happy he was able to convince Teru to give it one more chance. He had seen the way Sae had looked at Teru and everyone deserved a happy ending on Valentine’s Day.

* * *

**Futaba Sakura**

Futaba was really nervous when they entered the restaurant as she could feel her feelings of anxiety course through her body. She hated being around crowds, that hadn’t changed, but she knew she had to get used to it since she was going to start school at Kosei soon. Yusuke quickly grabbed her hand to reassure her, whispering to her that it would be alright and that he would be there for her all the way.

Yusuke knew she still had trouble with her social anxiety, she actually confided a lot about it in him, and he always tried to understand her.

Nevertheless, she had decided they should go on a date to an actual restaurant despite Yusuke’s protests. It was high time she learned how to function around actual people, especially since that was going to be a daily occurrence soon.

After they had ordered drinks the waiter had handed both of them menus. Menus that caused Yusuke’s face to turn white as he looked at him.

“Futaba…this is really expensive…” he whispered, causing her to grin at him.

“I told you I’d treat you Inari! I got a lot of gold from my last quest so order whatever you want!” she answered proudly…and loudly, causing people to look at them which made her instantly regret what she said.

“Here’s your drink, ma’am,” she heard a voice say behind her, startling her.

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR,” she shouted, causing the waiter to look at her with an odd expression on his face before he handed Yusuke his drink and left.

Futaba just wanted to hide under the table in shame after that, this was a natural disaster waiting to happen. Like when you’re in the middle of a raid and the boss uses a new attack. Futaba wasn’t sure if she was properly equipped to face this kind of challenge.

“It’ll be fine Futaba. Just focus on me and I’ll get you through this night. Everything here is exquisite, I’m glad you picked it out. Who cares about all those other people, am I right?” Yusuke told her as he squeezed her hand lightly to reassure her, causing her to smile.

Yusuke was right, they would get through this date and she would grow stronger because of it. She was glad he was going to be around at Kosei too, at least for the first year, because she felt like she was going to need it. She couldn’t do all that EXP grinding on her own after all.

“Have you guys decided what you want to eat?” the waiter asked, startling Futaba once again.

“N-Not yet…could you please give us a few more moments,” she muttered, trying her hardest not to get too shaken up this time around and she seemed to succeed as the waiter smiled at her kindly.

“Of course, take all the time you need,” he responded before walking over to a different table.

“See, you did great,” Yusuke responded with a smile. “But you should probably check out your menu so we can actually order food next time.”

“True! I will see it as the first objective in today’s main quest: “Surviving the Restaurant!”” Futaba agreed with a grin, causing Yusuke to chuckle.

His laughter made her feel happy again, she was going to get through tonight just fine and with Yusuke by her side…she felt like she could overcome anything…even her fear of going back to school.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira didn’t understand why Makoto had wanted to hang out all day but for some reason he had not been allowed to stay inside Leblanc, she had made that very clear. He was glad he was finally back though when he opened the door to the café. Time to unwind and relax, he was still tired from his time in prison and part of him just wanted to go to bed early. Although a different part of him felt like he was forgetting something about today and he just couldn't put his finger on what that was…

“Finally here Kira?” A familiar voice asked, the moment he walked in, surprising him. The lights were dimmed and he could see Ryuji holding out a glass filled with some sort of sparkling cider to him.

“Ryu…what are you doing here?” Akira asked, surprised by both Ryuji’s appearance and the transformation Leblanc had seemingly undergone. The entire café was decorated with lanterns, candles and roses, creating the most romantic atmosphere one could ever imagine inside the building. Akira could also see that Ryuji had set up one of the booths as a dinner table as he just stared, taking a moment to take everything in.

“Happy Valentine’s Day Kira,” Ryuji said before he leaned in to kiss him, causing Akira to realize what he had forgotten while he was in prison. Today was Valentine’s Day…and he hadn’t gotten Ryuji anything.

“I…uh…thanks Ryu…” Akira muttered as Ryuji lead him to his seat. Instead of walking to the kitchen, Ryuji suddenly dropped down on one knee in front of Akira. Causing him to be even more surprised as he didn’t know how to respond.

“I…what…?” Akira stammered before Ryuji held up his hand as a way to tell him to be quiet.

“So…um…I know you probably didn’t realize today was Valentine’s Day. Just being released from effin’ prison and all but I threw all of this together just for you…” Ryuji admitted before he pulled out what looked like a tiny box out of his jeans’ pocket.

Akira couldn’t believe what was happening, Ryuji wasn’t actually going to ask him to marry him was he? They were both 17 and…this was so fast and he just didn’t know how to cope with this.

“I…uh, thought about it a lot while you were in prison and I’ve gone through some really tough shit and it made me realize something Kira. I love you and without you I just feel empty and it effin’ sucks dude…so I got you this,” Ryuji said as he opened the box, revealing what looked like a pair of copper rings. “I’m not asking you to marry me, ‘cause we’re too freakin’ young for that…but it’s a promise to stay by your side. I’ll never leave you…and I hope you can promise me the same thing. I love you so much and I do not ever want to be without you.”

Ryuji shakily held out the box after that but it only took Akira a moment to accept it before he got down in front of Ryuji to kiss him as a huge smile formed on both of their faces.

“I promise you the same Ryuji, I’ll always be with you,” Akira responded after he broke away from their kiss. “I love you too.”

Their loving embrace got interrupted by what sounded like an alarm coming from the kitchen, causing Ryuji to jump up as he hastily ran towards the source.

“Shit, I’ll be back soon! That’s our dinner!” he yelled, causing Akira to laugh as he looked at the ring that was now on his hand. Ryuji certainly knew how to plan a perfect date. At least that was something Akira was still certain about.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Teru's hands were getting sweaty as he made his way to the door. Here he was, at Sae's apartment, holding a bouquet of roses. His nerves were going crazy. Was Ryuji right? Did he actually stand a chance with her? He had put on his best clothes at any rate, a red blazer with tight black pants. People had always told him he looked handsome in it but it was way too flashy to wear to court...even though he really wanted to. At least he finally found an occasion to wear it and it definitely beat the sweatpants he was wearing before. Ryuji was right about that, it made him look like a lazy slob and he was anything but that.

He took a deep breath before he rang the doorbell, part of him hoping that Sae wouldn’t be home so that he wouldn’t make a complete fool of himself.

He waited for a bit before he sighed, guess she wasn’t home after all. Not that Teru blamed her, it was Valentine’s Day and she was an attractive woman. She was probably going out with some lucky guy that wasn't him.

He was about to leave when the door opened, showing Sae in a state that Teru had never seen her in before. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweater, just like he had before, which was so unlike her that it made Teru blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“T-Teru…?” she muttered, blushing before she tried to quickly close the door.

Teru was faster though as he managed to put his foot between the door and the wall, yelping in pain the moment she tried to slam the door shut.

“Oh god, you’re not supposed to see me like this,” Sae stammered, sounding flustered.

“It’s um…it’s fine! I uh…Can I come in?” Teru muttered, unsure what to say next as he rubbed the back of his head. “I got you these flowers…”

“You did what now?” Sae asked, sounding more than a little surprised before noticing the bouquet Teru was holding.

“These roses…can you please open the door my foot really hurts,” Teru pointed out as he tried to grin at Sae despite the pain he felt.

“Right, the door. Yes come in, don’t mind the mess. I haven’t had a day to myself in ages and I just needed some time to unwind after all the crazy stuff that’s been happening,” Sae rambled nervously before she opened the door, finally freeing Teru’s foot which was really sore at this point.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Teru said as he entered Sae’s apartment, he was walking with a limp now and he was pretty sure his foot was going to swell up but hopefully it would all be worth it.

“So…you got me flowers,” Sae said, looking away from Teru.

“I did…Here you go!” Teru responded as he held out the flowers, the redness on his cheeks increasing the longer he held out the flowers.

Sae accepted them after what felt like an eternity, before muttering something about getting a vase to put them in as she walked off.

“Come on Teru, you can do this. You’ve been waiting for so long to tell her, go for it man!” he said to himself, not realizing that Sae had walked back into the room.

“You’ve been waiting to tell me what?”

“I..uh…I…” Teru muttered, his face turning bright red as he felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He just had to go for it. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time now Sae. I just thought you should know that after everything we’ve been through…Will you go out with me? Just once…because it's Valentine's Day...”

“No,” Sae responded quickly, causing Teru to look towards the ground. He knew he had no chance but to be rejected to him really hurt as he wanted to burst into tears on the spot.

“I mean, not like this Teru. This is my day off. You can stay to watch my movies with me and we can order some food though…” she quickly added after seeing Teru’s glum expression. “Maybe we can go on a proper date over the weekend though.”

“Really?!” Teru yelled excitedly as his face brightened immediately before realizing he was ridiculously overdressed for a couch date as he took off his blazer.

“Yeah, I think I like you too. I’m sorry it took me this long to realize that…It'll take me a bit to fall as much in love with you as you are with me, but once I get there...we'll have a great time” Sae whispered as she looked away.

“We got all the time in the world though,” Teru said with a smile before he and Sae sat down next to each other on the couch, Teru's arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“That we do, but we’re going to watch my movies first,” Sae pointed out with a grin on her face.

“…What movies?”

“You’ll see Teru, you’ll see.”

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“…Are you sure you want me to stay tonight? I understand if you’re too tired and I haven’t brought any clothes anyways,” Ryuji murmured after they had gone upstairs. He would love to stay, especially after the lovely dinner he and Akira had shared but he didn’t want his boyfriend to push himself for his sake. Akira still had to recover from everything he went through and Ryuji didn’t want to force himself on Akira right now.

“You have to ask after you gave me a ring, Ryu?” Akira teased him. “Of course it’s fine, I’d love it if you’d stay and don’t worry about clothes, we can just cuddle together under the covers or you can borrow a t-shirt.”

Ryuji smiled at Akira’s response, it was exactly what he wanted to hear as he moved over to Akira before leaning in to kiss him again. He had missed kissing Akira so much while the other boy was locked up and Akira seemed to feel the same way as he fiercely responded to Ryuji’s kiss.

“I missed you,” Akira muttered in-between their kisses, something which Ryuji confirmed before he took his shirt off as he and Akira fell backwards on Akira’s bed.

“Can you promise me something?” Ryuji huffed as he rolled over so that Akira was now on top of him.

“Hmm?”

“Promise that you’ll never leave me. I can’t deal with that again Kira. I can’t stand it if you go away again,” Ryuji admitted, tears pricking in the back of his eyes when he muttered those words.

“I…can try,” Akira said as he looked away, rolling off of Ryuji to lay down next to him.

“What do you mean?” Ryuji asked, not sure if he liked he this was going.

“I don’t know what the future holds Ryu. I technically have no valid reason to stay here now that my probation is almost over…and they could send me back,” Akira explained, sounding sad.

“Wait what?” Ryuji responded in shock, he had heard Akira talk about this before but he hadn’t realized it was almost time. Time for Akira to go back home.

“Can we not talk about it tonight though? I’m so happy to finally be back with you and I don’t want to ruin that…” Akira stammered and even though Ryuji wanted to disagree, he really did want to talk about this, he nodded. Akira would talk to him when he was ready, although he felt an unsettling feeling inside his stomach before Akira grabbed his hand and moved it to where is heart was.

“I’ll always be right there though,” he said before taking Ryuji’s hand and putting it over his own heart. “And you’ll always be right here. So in a way we’ll always be together.”

“That’s true, I guess you’re right!” Ryuji agreed with a smile before Akira leaned in to kiss him again.

“Can we…?” he asked, causing Ryuji to nod as Akira took off his shirt. Ryuji was ready for this as he let Akira shower him with kisses before he got ready to do more than just that. Tonight, tonight was going to be a memory neither of them would forget any time soon.

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

“Aaaah, I’m so full!” Ann exclaimed after putting another chocolate covered strawberry in her mouth. She, together with Haru and Makoto, had had what she called a “Fondue Night”.

They had started off the evening with cheese fondue because her parents had once taken her to a place where they served that in Switzerland and she really loved it. It had been a pain to recreate, but she thought she did a decent job and Haru and Makoto seemed to love it. Makoto even revealing a hidden love for cheese.

For dessert, to keep with the fondue theme, Ann had prepared a chocolate fondue with all kinds of fruit and marshmallows and the other two girls had enjoyed every minute of it.

“The entire night wsa perfect Ann-chan, thank you so much for inviting us!” Haru chimed after they had cleaned up everything. They had put down airbeds in Ann’s bedroom and they were currently chatting with each other in their nightgowns.

“It was amazing indeed, I’m so glad you invited me too!” Makoto agreed. “I sometimes felt like you two didn’t like me too much…”

“Oh Makoto, don’t be silly. Of course we like you! Us girls got the stick together, you know?” Ann proclaimed while giving Makoto a thumbs-up.

“It’s just, we never hung out much. I guess I’m just being silly,” Makoto explained before looking away, feeling embarrassed.

“You’re not silly Mako-chan. Ann-chan and I honestly felt like you just didn’t really want to hang out with us…So I guess that makes us all silly!” Haru pointed out before laughing. “At least we finally cleared that up!”

“I guess so…It just sucks that I’m going to leave all of you soon,” Makoto muttered, before slapping a hand over her mouth.

“Wait, what!?” Ann yelled, unable to contain her surprise. Makoto was going to leave? Since when?

“I got accepted into Tokyo’s Police Academy. It’s something I’ve always wanted…It just means that I’ll be staying there during the week at the very least, so I don’t know how much we’ll still be able to see each other…” the other girl explained before she burst into tears as Haru and Ann moved over to her to hug her. “And now I found out we could’ve always been a girl group and it was makes me so sad…”

“We’ll always be a girl group Mako-chan,” Haru said as she put her arm around Makoto.

“Yeah, we can visit you or you can come visit us! We’ll always be the Phantom Girls along with Futuba!” Ann added, smiling at Makoto. “You get to fulfill your dream and become a police officer, that’s really cool!”

“Thanks girls,” Makoto muttered before she hugged the other girls, something Ann and Haru gladly returned.

* * *

“So…what about boys?” Haru asked after they had continued talking for a while causing Ann’s face to turn bright red as Haru clapped her hands in excitement.

“Yeah Ann, what about boys?” Makoto teased after seeing Ann’s face turn red, causing her to wave her hands in front of her face in embarrassment. Was she ready to tell them her biggest secret? She may as well at this point…

She would’ve told Ryuji first, but he was always out gallivanting with Teru and she really hadn’t had found time to talk to him. Besides, he was going through a lot too so she didn’t want to burden him with her own struggles.

“I…uh…I mean there was someone once…” Ann muttered, causing Haru and Makoto to move closer to her, their eyes sparkling with excitement. “But there’s nothing anymore…”

“What happened?” Haru asked, still interested even though Ann could hear the worry in her voice.

“It’s…um…not a guy either. I’m into girls…but she moved away after an incident and well…we haven’t really talked lately…” Ann explained sadly. She missed Shiho a lot but she was too afraid to reach out to her after she finished her rehabilitation. What if she blamed her for what happened with Kamoshida? Shiho never even once implied that was the case but it was still something Ann was very afraid of.

“Is this about Shiho, Ann?” Makoto asked, her eyes filled with an understanding expression as she wrapped her arm around Ann.

“Yeah…” Ann nodded before explaining the entire story to Haru and Makoto. How Shiho had decided to transfer away from Shujin after she had tried to kill herself. She did not want to be around the school that had made her feel like that, even if that meant having to see goodbye to Ann. Ann had said she understood, and she did, but it still really hurt. She did not want Shiho to leave her and yet, Shiho did just that. They had promised to stay in touch but they really hadn’t…and it broke Ann up on the inside.

Both Haru and Makoto wrapped their arms around Ann, who was sobbing after she finished her explanation, while reassuring her that there would someone else. There would be another girl who could make Ann feel like how Shiho did.

“And we’ll be here for you Ann-chan. We’ll always support you,” Haru told her, causing Ann to smile at her. She may not have Shiho anymore, and she may not ever find love again, but at least she found really good friends.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji woke up with the biggest smile on his face as he noticed Akira’s arm was draped over his bare chest. Last night sure was great, Ryuji hadn’t expected them to go all the way, again, but he was glad that they had done so. Akira was everything to him and now he had given himself to him completely, without worry this time.

He reached for his phone, having heard it buzz before, to read his new messages. It was probably Ann, Haru or maybe Teru checking in with him to see how his night had gone but his smile faltered the moment he saw the message. There was no way this was possible…no way…and yet he opened the message to read its contents:

> **Dad >** Hey Ryuji, I know you haven’t heard from me for a long time but I found your number and I really wanted to reach out. I’m back in Tokyo and I was wondering if we could meet during the weekend…I really want to talk to you and make things right…Lemme know kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really hope this chapter gave you all a bunch of good feelings, because I really enjoyed writing the new things I'm trying out!  
> I obviously loved writing the Akiryu parts, it was good getting back to that but I also liked exploring new relationships, especially since they got different dynamics than Akira and Ryuji do. Of course I couldn’t resist ending it on a cliffhanger, because that’s how I roll :3
> 
> As for the Akiryu part, I wonder how many of you thought I was actually gonna go with an engagement? But nevertheless, I hope promise rings will satisfy you guys for now :3
> 
> Futaba and Yusuke are both characters that are quite difficult to write for me, but seeing as they’ll be important in the sequel (see the teaser on my blog) I decided to foreshadow one of their storylines through their date. Besides I’ve been teasing their relationship for the entire fic, so I figured I’d at least attempt to write a date once.
> 
> Then there’s the more “original” couple and since I figured both both Teru and Sae would be completely clueless when it comes to a relationship I hope you enjoyed to see them, especially Sae, acting completely clueless. It was hilarious to write Sae like this since she’s normally super calm, serious and collected and I hope this shows some contrast which will also be explored in the sequel. There'll definitely be depths to her that you haven't seen yet xP
> 
> I also really hope you liked the girl get-together at the end. Ann/Haru and Makoto deserve some love in their own future, and they'll each get a love interest, but they got each other for now! I also hope you like how I'm setting Ann up to be with a girl in the future.
> 
> At any rate, I really hope (I say this a lot, damn) you enjoyed this chapter overall, despite it being a tad different than what you might be used to. I’m still trying to figure out how to spread focus evenly and it’ll probably take me a while to figure that out properly but I hope you guys will stick with me as I figure that out.
> 
> As always, hope you’ll keep reading and if you enjoyed it leave a kudo/comment if you haven’t already xP Oh and check out the newest tumblr update (http://raindene.tumblr.com/) where I’ll reveal the next set of main characters and a small teaser on their storylines.


	23. So Much Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ryuji…do something…” his father muttered, looking pitiful, but this time Ryuji decided to stand up to his father. He would no longer scare and control him like he had in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter will resolve Ryuji’s conflict with his dad…mostly and it honestly just mainly focuses on that after the previous chapter being so focused on, well, everyone. This is one of the plot points I want to tie up before starting on Gods & Games although who knows, it may still be relevant later on.  
> It’s a bit on the shorter side, especially compared to recent chapters, but I hope you guys will enjoy it nevertheless xP
> 
> Writing the first few paragraphs here (Akira’s part) was really hard for some reason. I wanted to foreshadow Akira’s upcoming plot but I feel like I may have jumbled it a bit, especially with how it gets handled this chapter >.> I’ll do more with it later though! But yeah, just in case you feel like Akira is a bit OOC there’s a reason for that, but sequel stuff and spoilers and all that!

**Akira Kurusu**

“…What’s he doing here?” Akira muttered when he saw Teru running through the door. Ryuji had mentioned he had called a friend to help them deal with his father, but he had expected Ann or Haru to come through the door…not his former lawyer.

“He’s here to help Kira. Teru’s a lawyer so I figured he could help figure out how to deal with my dad,” Ryuji answered, seemingly unsure why Akira sounded hostile.

Akira had enough reason to sound hostile though, since when are lawyers supposed to associate with people in their clients’ lives, let alone the person who they are in a relationship with.

“That’s right, just here to help! So what exactly happened?” Teru confirmed, smiling at Akira as he greeted him before he sat down. “You just got a text and that’s that?”

“Well…not exactly. I got the first text 2 weeks ago, right after Valentine’s Day, told him I didn’t want to effin’ meet him…but he kept insisting and well, eventually I kinda gave in…I’m meeting him this weekend, told him I’d bring friends with me and he said he was fine with that,” Ryuji explained before rubbing the back of his head. “He was really insistent I’d at least see him…”

“So…what exactly do you need me for?” Teru asked, looking confused as Akira shook his head in annoyance. It was obvious why Ryuji had called Teru wasn’t it?

“Well, you’re…good at talking to people so I was hoping you could help smooth things over between me and my dad?” Ryuji said as he looked towards the ground.

Teru seemed shocked, unsure how to respond, and he wasn’t the only one who felt like that. Akira did too, even if it was for a different reason. He didn’t understand why Ryuji had asked Teru for that reason. He was pretty decent at talking himself and he could help Ryuji on his own. He didn’t need Teru for that.

“I mean sure, but…” Teru muttered hesitantly, snapping Akira out of his thoughts as he looked at Ryuji interacting with his former lawyer. He wanted to interject, but he felt like his presence was unnecessary at this point. If Ryuji was asking Teru for help, what was he even here for?

“But?” Ryuji asked, sounding surprised at Teru’s hesitation.

“You said you wanted nothing to do with your dad, what happened to that?” Teru asked, surprising Akira even more. Ryuji had told Teru that? Why would he have done so…?

“Well…I just want to try, maybe he has changed you know? He’s still my dad…” Ryuji muttered. “But if you don’t want to help that’s fine…”

“No, no, I will help, I’m just surprised,” Teru said before he smiled and slapped Ryuji on his back. “I told you, I got your back kid!”

“There was one more thing, actually…” Ryuji admitted quietly, causing both Teru and Akira to look at him. “I want Akira to get to know you. You’re a really good friend and Akira is my boyfriend so I was hoping you two would get along!”

“Sounds good!” Teru said with a smile, while Akira tried to smile back. Suddenly a lot of things started to make sense to him. Ann had mentioned Ryuji having a new friend that he was spending a lot of time with, Akira just hadn’t realized Teru was that friend. Teru hadn’t really mentioned anything about that when he visited him in prison, although the fact that he always knew a lot about Ryuji had done made sense now. Teru had been a part of those activities and it made Akira feel jealous.

“Yeah…it’s great…” Akira muttered, causing Teru to raise an eyebrow at him as a dark idea crossed Akira’s mind. He and Ann had joked about “taking down” Ryuji’s new friend and now that Akira knew who the friend was…he was all for it. “You know what Teru, you should come to our party next weekend. We’re meeting Ryuji’s dad on Saturday and the party is on Sunday so you should be able to make it. You have done so much for us, it only makes sense you’d be there too!”

“Are you sure, I wouldn’t want to intrude…” Teru stammered, although he seemed genuinely excited as Akira could see his eyes light up. It made Akira feel a little bad…he was inviting Teru just to turn him into a joke, together with Ann, but he couldn’t falter. Teru was trying to worm his way between him and Ryuji, he was sure of it, so he deserved what was coming to him.

“It’d be really fun if you’d come Teru!” Ryuji said, smiling happily at the idea and making Akira feel worse. Maybe Teru wasn’t worming his way in-between them…maybe he already had.

“Well, if you both want me to come, how can I say no?” Teru said with a bright smile. “I love parties! I’ll be there!”

“Of course you love parties,” Akira muttered under his breath, before turning to Ryuji. “Do you still need me to be there when you deal with your dad?”

“Yeah of course!” Ryuji answered. “I always need you around Kira, why’d you even ask that?”

“Just making sure…” Akira stammered, swearing he could see Teru chuckle as Ryuji shrugged. He really did not like the guy. He was grateful for all the support and help Teru had provided for him while in prison but he didn’t like how Teru was just barging into his personal life. Even if deep down Akira knew that Teru did much more than an average lawyer did, going way beyond his job description, it didn’t change the fact he felt very uncomfortable with this new friendship. Especially since Ryuji seemed to depend on Teru in a way Akira wanted Ryuji to depend on him. Akira looked at the ring around his finger as he sighed. Was Ryuji already slipping away?

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji was very nervous. Today he was going to meet with his father and he didn’t know how to feel about it. They had agreed to meet in a park in the middle of Tokyo and they would just talk about everything that had happened and his father seemed genuinely interested in how he was doing now, so he was also going to tell him about that. Part of Ryuji hoped his father truly had changed and that he could have a role in his life from now on but the scared little boy inside of him knew better. His father wouldn’t have changed and yet here he was, still waiting to meet up with him.

“You ready Ryuji?” Teru asked, looking concerned. “I put on my lawyer jacket just to help you out!” He wasn’t lying either, Teru was wearing the jacket he normally wore with his suit, attorney’s badge and all, although he was wearing normal jeans as opposed to the rest of his suit.

Akira was there too, silently holding Ryuji’s hand as he stared in front of him. Ryuji had noticed that Akira winced every time Teru opened his mouth…and it struck him as odd. Akira was generally one of the first to talk to new people, and Teru wasn’t even a new person, but he seemed to strongly dislike his new friend for some reason.

“I hope so…Oh god there he is,” Ryuji muttered when he saw his father approach the three of them. His father still looked the same he always did. Tall, imposing and build like a house, not someone anyone would like to mess with. Or at least, that’s what he looked like to Ryuji.

* * *

“Ryuji!” his father said happily, holding out his hand. “You’ve really grown. How long has it been since I’ve last seen you?”

“A-About three years, I think?” Ryuji stammered before he shook his dad’s hand. His dad gave him a really firm handshake and it hurt a little.

“It’s good to see you again boy, I’m sorry about how things went down in the past but I’ve changed. I just want to be a part of my son’s life again,” his father told him. “Can we perhaps go sit down somewhere to talk about all of this? You can introduce me to your friends too.”

“Y-yeah of course,” Ryuji responded as he squeezed Akira’s hand. For a moment he thought his father glared at him but he decided he had imagined it. His father told him he had changed, he should give him a chance. Akira and Teru didn’t seem to agree though, both looking very skeptical and Ryuji did understand that. He had only ever told them bad things about his father, of course they wouldn’t be willing to give him another chance. But Ryuji was, in a way Ryuji missed his father and he just wanted things to go back to how they were before.

“So tell me about your life Ryuji, how’s school? What other things have you been up to?” his father asked after they had moved to sit on a park bench.

“I…uh…junior year is ending soon. School is really hard though, and well…I’m not sure if I passed everything yet, but I should at least be able to advance to next year! I go to the gym a lot too, like you used to in the past. I even picked up boxing thanks to Teru…” Ryuji stammered, unable to hide his nervosity as he just rambled on about his life.

“Teru?” his father asked, causing the lawyer to hold out his hand to Ryuji’s dad.

“That’d be me. I’m a lawyer who helped out your son in the past and I decided to stick around to look after him. Someone had to,” Teru said, his voice sounding uncharacteristically hostile as he glared at Ryuji’s father.

His father didn’t seem fazed though, shaking Teru’s hand before turning towards Ryuji. “Why did you need a lawyer, son?”

“I…uh, actually didn’t. Akira did...”

“Akira?”

“The guy sitting next to me, dad. He’s my boyfriend and we ar-…” Ryuji explained, before his dad cut him off with what sounded like a growl.

“Boyfriend? What’s the meaning of this Ryuji?” he roared angrily before getting up.

“I…um…we’re dating…and…” Ryuji muttered, trying, and failing, to keep himself together. His dad really scared him when he got like this.

“You’re dating a gay criminal? I did not raise you like this! You better explain everything to me right this instant or else…” his father threatened before he raised his hand, causing Ryuji to close his eyes. He knew what was going to happen now, his dad was going to hit him, just like he always had…Except this time, there was no pain causing Ryuji to open his eyes when he heard a loud crash.

* * *

Ryuji could do nothing but stare at the scene in front of him with wide eyes as his hand found its way to Akira’s.

Teru had actually gotten up and punched his dad to the ground, standing between him and Akira and Ryuji, making it clear he was going to protect the two of them.

Ryuji had brought the lawyer along to smooth things over between him and his father, not to beat him up, but he was glad Teru had punched his dad when he did despite knowing how much trouble the lawyer could get into for doing what he just did.

“I uh…wow…Teru is really something, huh? I can kinda see why you befriended him now…” Akira whispered to Ryuji, surprising him. Up until now Akira had been snarky about everything Teru did but he seemed to approve of this at least.

“Everyone does say he’s like an older version of me…” Ryuji whispered back to his boyfriend with a smile.

“I can kind of see that,” Akira admitted as a small smile curled around his lips.

“I’ll sue you! That’s assault. I can get you disbarred for that,” his father yelled at Teru, but it didn’t seem to faze him as he stared Ryuji’s father down. Ryuji was surprised by how angry Teru had gotten, he was generally calm and easy-going but right now he looked like he was filled with a burning rage.

“I’d like to see you try, this kid can sue you for both abuse and parental neglect and I can probably think of more things if he wants to make your life a living hell,” Teru scoffed, before he crouched down next to Ryuji’s dad.

“If you try to bring me down, I’m going to make sure to take you down with me and you got a lot more to lose than I do,” he whispered darkly, causing Ryuji’s father to stare at him in fear.

“Ryuji…do something…” his father muttered, looking pitiful, but this time Ryuji decided to stand up to his father. He would no longer scare and control him like he had in the past.

“Teru’s free to do what he wants,” Ryuji said, trying to look confident as he faced his father.

“Come on now Ryuji, you don’t want to be associated with a ruffian like that man, do you?” his father reasoned, causing Teru to glare at him.

“Actually, Teru’s one of the most civil people I know and he’s done more for me in the past month than you have done in my entire life!” Ryuji yelled, causing his dad to look at him in disgust.

“Y-You’re my son! I can see your mother let you run loose and become a hopeless delinquent, but there’s still hope for you if you come with me. Come with me, Ryuji. Leave your loser friends, marry a nice girl and listen to your father. I want you, Ryuji. I’ve only ever tried to make you the best you can be, can’t you see that?” his father reasoned, taking a step back when he saw both Akira and Teru angrily ball their fists. Suddenly the big man didn’t look so big anymore, causing Ryuji to feel a surge of confidence.

“You’re not my dad, I don’t have a dad and I’d rather be a hopeless delinquent than your puppet! I don’t ever want to see you again and if you dare to show your effin' face in my life, I’ll allow Teru to build his case against you,” Ryuji yelled, before he turned around and walked away. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he didn’t want to see his dad anymore as he started to run, tears threatening to drop from his eyes as he did.

“See ya around Mister,” Teru chirped before he and Akira ran after Ryuji quickly, catching up to him right before he dropped to his knees, crying.

* * *

Both Akira and Teru kneeled next to him, Akira wrapping his arms around him while Teru put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you Ryuji,” Akira said as he pulled Ryuji close. It was finally over, Ryuji could finally move past his father now.

“Yeah, you did good kid,” Teru added, smiling proudly at Ryuji before Akira turned towards him, looking guilty.

“So I uh…I wanna apologize Tendo-san…” Akira muttered, causing Teru to look at him in surprise.

“Seriously why can’t you just call me Teru?” Teru sighed, before a look of confusion showed up on his face. “Why do you want to apologize? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I was…um…kinda jealous of your friendship with Ryu. I thought you replaced me…” Akira muttered awkwardly as he looked towards the ground before Teru slapped him on the back.

“Don’t worry about that man, I get that I’m super handsome and could be seen as a threat but I don’t swing that way! Not exclusively anyways,” Teru responded with a smile. “Besides, Sae and I are actually dating now…after Ryuji convinced me to ask her out on Valentine’s Day.”

“It’s just that well…me and Ann kind of made a plan to make a fool out of you in front of everyone,” Akira admitted, causing Ryuji to look at his boyfriend in shock.

“You did what?” he muttered, although he wasn’t surprised that Akira had a petty side. He had noticed it numerous times before.

“I am intrigued, what were you gonna do to me?” Teru asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“We um…we were going to embarrass you in front of everyone at Leblanc tomorrow. That’s why I invited you to the party…” Akira stammered, clearly embarrassed, before Teru interrupted him.

“Go for it,” he said tauntingly, smiling mischievously at the two of them and causing both Ryuji and Akira to look at him in surprise.

“Wait what?” Akira asked.

“It’ll make you and Ann feel better, won’t it? There’s a reason you want to do this to me and if it makes you kids feel better, I’m down,” Teru said, chuckling, before he excused himself. Mentioning something about how he mentally had to prepare himself for whatever they were going to do to him.

“It better be good kids,” he yelled, pumping his fists into the air, before walking off, leaving Ryuji and Akira to stare after him in shock.

“What just happened?” Ryuji asked, trying to make sense of what Teru just did.

“I think he just gave me permission to make a fool out of him tomorrow,” Akira muttered, sounding just as surprised as Ryuji was.

“Why do you and Ann want to humiliate him anyway…?” Ryuji asked. “He was been really good to us, you know?”

He wanted to know Akira and Ann’s intentions because even though Teru had given them permission he was still a tad surprised the two of them went that far just because he had made a new friend.

“Jealousy…mainly. It was mostly me, Ann offering to help because she likes a good laugh but also because you’ve been spending a lot of time with Teru lately, time you used to spend with her. She’s not used to sharing you…and neither am I…” Akira explained, blushing as he looked towards the ground.

“I am freakin’ touched you care that much. Just, Teru’s a good guy so don’t do anything too bad to him, alright?” Ryuji said before he leaned in to kiss Akira’s forehead.

“Yeah, I can see he’s a good guy now,” Akira admitted, his face getting redder from both embarrassment and the fact that Ryuji just kissed him.

“Teru, or anyone for that matter, can never replace you Kira. You’re the only one I love…” he whispered in the other boy’s ear causing Akira’s face to look like it was about to explode.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

Teru braced himself before he walked into Leblanc the next day. He had put on some old clothes, he even had a bag filled with spare clothes draped over his shoulder in case whatever they were going to do required him to change afterwards. He put his bag next to the entrance, looking up when he realized that the door was already unlocked to see a bucket stationed on top of the door. He grinned when he realized that they were going for classic pranks but he was definitely happy he had decided to bring spare clothes with him, seeing how he would be soaked the moment he walked in.

He took a deep breath before he opened the door causing the bucket, which turned out to be filled with cold water, to drench him completely before it hit his head.

“Damn this is a d-icey situation,” he joked, turning the entire thing into a pun as he started laughing causing everyone in the café to stare at him. He could see Ann and Akira give each other a high five in the back, their plan having succeeded before they walked over to him, obviously hiding something behind their backs.

“I assume you want to throw whatever it is you’re holding behind your backs at me next,” Teru said before he spread his arms. “Go for it kids, I’m ready!” But to his surprise Ann and Akira put what turned out to be pretty delicious-looking cakes on the table next to them before they both held out a hand.

“We thought about it Teru and well, we’re sorry we wanted to humiliate you. Instead we want to officially welcome you to our group. You’re Ryuji’s friend but you also helped saving me from prison and kept me from going completely insane by visiting me as often as you could. And after your help yesterday, well, you’re a pretty cool guy and we all want you to be our friend, if you want us to be yours too that is…” Akira muttered as he and Ann awkwardly fiddled with their hands.

Teru saw Ryuji give him a thumbs-up in the back before he turned to the two teenagers in front of him, shaking both of their hands.

“I’d like that very, but…” he said, causing everyone to stare at him before he quickly grabbed one of the cakes from the table, “This one looks too delicious to share!”

He pressed the cake in his face after he finished speaking causing everyone in the room to burst into laughter before he heard Leblanc’s doorbell ring.

“Teru…why is your bag in front of…” Sae asked before she took a look at Teru, bursting into laughter the moment she saw him. “Do I even want to know why you're soaked and got cake on your face?”

“These kids thought it was funny to humiliate me and I let them, you know I love to give people a good laugh Sae,” he smiled proudly as everyone around him burst into laughter once again.

Teru looked around his new group of friends as he felt overwhelmed by everyone laughing. Being surrounded by their laughter made him feel happiness in a way he hadn't before as Teru realized that he had finally found a place where he belonged after all these years. Sure, it may not have been around his peers, colleagues or his family, but these kids had given him what he always wanted. A group of friends who liked the fact that he was what other people called an “idiot”. They liked him just for being Teru and that’s all he had ever wanted.

“You taste sweet,” Sae told him, leaning in for a quick kiss before handing him his bag. “Go get changed though, you look like an idiot!”

Akira offered to take him to his room afterwards, so that he wouldn’t have to take off his clothes in front of everyone, apologizing to him once more for the way he had treated him.

“You know kid, you gotta stop apologizing to me. Everyone got a good laugh out of happened and you’ve given me something else too,” Teru told him, causing Akira to look at him in surprise. “Friends, that’s what you guys have given me and if all it takes is me making a fool of myself every now and then, I’ll gladly do that whenever you guys want.”

Teru smiled at Akira before he went downstairs as Teru decided to take his shirt off and change, looking towards the stairs when he heard something only to find Akira staring at him…or rather, his chest.

“You…you got an um…nice body,” the boy muttered as his face turned red.

“Told ya I was handsome kid,” Teru teased before he started laughing loudly, causing Akira promptly turn around and run downstairs in embarrassment. Teru could definitely get used to having friends, that was for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let me start off by saying that this is one of my weaker chapters, imo, but I hoped you at least enjoyed it, seeing how tough it was to write >.>
> 
> At least I’m done introducing Teru and establishing him as a character. Although, keep in mind that while Teru pretty much humiliating himself in front of everyone looks innocent enough, I mean he was just being funny with some food, there is a much darker reason for that which will be revealed over time. Well I say that, but you can partially find out already since he’s part of the final set of main characters that you can now read about on my tumblr (http://raindene.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Next chapter we’re actually going to do something new since the arc finale consists of two parts this time around. So I hope you’ll join me for the first part of our explosive finale and that you’ll leave a kudo/comment if you enjoyed this chapter!


	24. Next To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji pondered about what his friends were going to be up to next year before he allowed himself to doze off during class…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE EVERYONE! Quick chapter update xP
> 
> It’s the second-to-last chapter and I’m excited! First part of our two-part finale and it’s going to be something new as I’m going to give you guys a bit of a taste for what you can expect in Gods & Games, so I hope you’ll enjoy that!
> 
> Everyone’s story, aside from Ryuji and Akira, will be wrapped up here while also teasing what’s to come. And this time, all of our upcoming main characters will tell a part of the chapter, so that means Ryuji, Akira, Ann, Haru, Makoto, Futaba, Yusuke, Sae and Teru all get to show us a part from their life and how it’s about to change and man…Some of them got big things coming up >.<  
> There’s also spoilers for Makoto, Haru and Ann’s confidant stories here.
> 
> Akira and Ryuji are barely featured here, but they'll be the main focus of the second part. It'll all make sense after reading it I promise! And like I said, this chapter is basically a giant huge teaser for Gods & Games.

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

It was the final week of the school year and Ryuji was glad it was almost over. He needed a break after everything that had happened over the past year. He could genuinely say he was happy for the first time in his life though. He had met so many wonderful people over the past year. Well Ann wasn’t technically a meeting, since she was a childhood friend, but he was glad he reunited with her. Makoto, Haru, Futaba and Yusuke were new though and he was really grateful he had met them. He had even made some adult friends, well he wasn’t sure if he could call Sae a friend, but Teru definitely was. There was of course one more person, Ryuji thought as he looked down at the ring on his finger, Akira. His first boyfriend, and hopefully also his last. Akira had been the push he needed to change his life and Ryuji felt like, in the end, everything had changed for the better. He had moved past his father and most of his past at this point, with his friends’ and Kawakami’s help, and he was ready to start his life for real this time.

Ryuji pondered about what his friends were going to be up to next year before he allowed himself to doze off during class…

* * *

**Ann Takamaki**

Ann said goodbye to Ryuji and her other friends after their day at school had ended. She had been spurred on by Makoto and Haru to visit Shiho and that’s what she was going to do.

To her surprise Shiho had responded almost immediately, saying she’d love to see Ann again, agreeing to meet at the diner in Shibuya. Ann felt incredibly nervous on the train, she hadn’t seen Shiho for a while now and while they used to be best friends…she couldn’t help but fear that things would be awkward or tense between them. So many things had happened and Ann had mostly stopped talking to Shiho after her rehabilitation ended. What if Shiho blamed her for that, along with the other things that had happened?

“Ann-chan…?” she heard someone say the moment she got off the train, revealing Shiho had already found her before they even got to the diner.

“Shiho?” Ann muttered, sounding surprised. “You were waiting here?”

Ann looked Shiho, she looked amazing, she could walk without crutches again and she looked happy. It was as if some kind of newfound confidence had washed over her, making her even more attractive as Ann felt her heart beat inside her throat. She was not over Shiho, she never had been.

“It was a coincidence really, I realized your train arrived around 5 minutes after mine,” Shiho smiled. “I’m so glad I caught you though! Now we can walk to the diner together.”

Shiho excitedly grabbed Ann’s hand after that, pulling her along as they made their way to the diner.

“You seem really happy, Shiho,” Ann said happily, she truly was happy to see Shiho like this, causing the other girl to slow down before turning towards Ann.

“I am, Ann-chan…” she said, before her face suddenly got more serious. “But I can’t help but feel like I left something important behind though…”

“Something important…?” Ann repeated, unsure what Shiho meant by that.

“You, of course. You were my closest friend and I know what you did to try and prevent Kamoshida from harming me…” Shiho explained. “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you, I was afraid you may not want to see me anymore…”

“Wait what?” Ann blurted out before putting her hand over her mouth. She thought Shiho didn’t want her anymore, not the other way around.

“I mean…I don’t blame you-…”

“No, no Shiho! Not at all! I just…That was the reason why I didn’t contact you!” Ann explained quickly, cutting Shiho off. “I didn’t reach out because I thought you blamed for what happened to you.

Now it was Shiho’s turn to be surprised as she looked at Ann before giving her a big hug.

“Guess we were both being silly, Ann-chan. I’m so glad you reached out,” she stammered, before Ann could see a tear fall from Shiho’s eyes. She could understand that though, seeing as her own tears started flowing from happiness.

Shiho didn’t hate her, in fact, Shiho still thought of her as her best friend and it made Ann incredibly happy.

“You’re my best friend Shiho,” Ann muttered before breaking away from their hug, only to see Shiho smiling brightly at her.

“You’re my best friend too Ann-chan,” she responded before taking a hold of Ann’s hand again. “We should hurry over to the diner though, I heard they got a new sweet tea that I’m sure you’d like!”

Ann smiled before she let Shiho pull her along. She was really happy right now, but despite that she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. She still had feelings for Shiho, feelings she could’ve ignored if Shiho had disappeared from her life, and now she would have to deal with those…and if there was one thing Ann wasn’t good at, it was dealing with love.

* * *

**Futaba Sakura**

“Are you sure you want to do this Futaba?” Sojiro asked her for what felt like the millionth time. Futaba was nervous to go back to school but it seemed like her guardian, no, her father, was even more nervous than she was. “We can just look at homeschooling programs if you’re not ready…”

“Relax Sojiro, I got this!” Futaba said, sounding more confident then she actually was. They were sitting in the admissions’ office at Kosei to make her enrollment official. She had already been accepted and this was mostly just a formality but it was still something that had to happen.

Futaba had actually more or less enjoyed her day. The person handling the admissions had given her and Sojiro a tour around the school, showing her where her classroom was going to be next year. Kosei was divided in different segments, one for each division. There was the Art Division, which Yusuke was a part of, the Science Division and the IT Division. Kosei was a school for gifted students and only the best could get in. Futaba had been nervous about applying but after some reassurance from Yusuke she had submitted some of the things she had programmed, only the non-incriminating ones of course, and she was almost immediately accepted. Futaba wasn’t even sure if she could classify this as a main questline, it had been really easy.

“Everyone seems to be in order Ms. Sakura. Could you please sign this?” the admissions’ officer asked her before handing her a piece of paper.

Futaba quickly looked everything over, making sure all her personal information was written down right, before signing it and handing it back to the admissions’ officer.

“That’s everything then. Do you have any questions?” he asked, smiling kindly at her.

“N-no, I don’t think so…” Futaba stammered, she still had trouble speaking to people she didn’t know sometimes and definitely needed more experience points on that front but she was getting better every day.

“What about you, sir?”

“I don’t think so. I think Futaba has handled everything perfectly,” Sojiro stated proudly before he put his hand on Futaba’s shoulder. He seemed proud of her and it made Futaba happy. She was happy she could make Sojiro proud after everything they had been through together.

* * *

“Futaba-chan?” she heard a voice say after she and Sojiro had left the admissions’ office. She looked around, trying to find out where the voice came from, before she noticed a short girl with brown braided pigtails walk over to her.

“Kana-chan?” Futaba stammered in surprise. “You’re going to Kosei too?”

“So it is you!” Kana responded excitedly. “Yes, I’m about to finalize my admission! I got accepted into the IT division. What about you?”

“Seriously?! Me too!” Futaba exclaimed. Maybe going back to school wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be considering she had just found her first party member.

“Yay! I’m so glad I know someone here!” Kana said, before the admissions’ officer called her name. “Guess I have to go now, but I’ll text you!”

Futaba said goodbye to Kana before seeing Sojiro smile at her.

“Is that Kana-chan from your old school?” he asked, knowing about their past.

“Yes! Yes she is!” Futaba responded as she mentally checked the first box on her list of “Going Back to School” quest objectives. Objective #1 - Finding a Party Member.

* * *

**Makoto Niijima**

“Sis?” Makoto asked hesitantly before walking into their living room. She wasn’t sure if her sister was still awake but she really needed to talk to her. There was no way she could hide this anymore.

“Yes Makoto?” Sae responded causing Makoto to feel a combination of relief and nervosity. At least her sister wasn’t asleep yet.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I got an e-mail from the academy…” Makoto said, looking away slightly. She wasn’t sure how to break the news to her sister. She hadn’t mentioned moving out. She and Sae had lived together, just the two of them, ever since her father passed away and she was afraid Sae would blame her for moving out.

“You did? What did it say?” Sae answered, sounding concerned.

“Just general stuff. They want me to move there on the 20th. Entrance exams start on the 21st and last for a week…” Makoto muttered, getting more emotional with every word she said. She couldn’t tell her sister, she just couldn’t…

“Is something wrong Makoto?” Sae probed, having noticed something was wrong with Makoto. “You look like you’re about to burst into tears.”

“I have to move out! I have to stay at their dormitories on weekdays…I’m sorry, sis…” Makoto blurted out before turning around abruptly, unable to face her sister.

“I know Makoto,” Sae answered, having gotten up from her chair, before wrapping her arms around her younger sister. “I’ve known from the moment you told you were accepted.”

“You…you did?” Makoto stammered. “And you’re not mad?”

“No of course not! I’m glad you’re following your dream. Besides you’ll still be home during weekends and we can spend time together then,” Sae answered, smiling kindly at her younger sister. “You didn’t have to worry about that.”

“But we’ve always lived together…” Makoto muttered.

“And eventually, we will each live our own lives. It’s natural Makoto. I knew this day would come one day…” Sae responded, sounding a bit sad. "I am so proud of you Makoto."

Makoto knew her sister made sense and yet, yet it still hurt. She didn’t want to be separated from her. They had really reconnected after Makoto and the rest of the Phantom Thieves had gone into Sae's palace and they were as close as they were before all the weird incidents started happening.

“I’m afraid I’ll lose you again…” Makoto whispered quietly, causing Sae to hug her tight.

“You’ll never lose me Makoto. You’re my sister and I promise I’ll always be there to protect you,” Sae told her, allowing Makoto to lose herself in her sister’s comfort. She guessed Sae was right, they were sisters, and no one could come between them.

* * *

**Teru Tendo**

“I hate my life!” Teru yelled at no one in particular before he dropped down on his couch. He was immensely frustrated with his job…or rather the lack thereof. He thought being a freelance lawyer would be easy, but it was so hard to find a case. He did have a couple of clients after helping Akira out, but nothing was as exciting or thrilling as that had been.

He didn’t really have a reputation, so he only got cases that bored him out of his mind…and even those were sparse at this point. It made him feel depressed and uneasy and he had been feeling especially off after helping Ryuji out with his dad. Granted, that was mostly because it reminded him of his own parents but that didn’t mean it didn’t suck. Teru subconsciously touched the scar on his stomach before allowing himself to get lost in his memories.

_“You did what?” his father yelled before slapping Teru harshly, causing him to reach for his face as he put his hand on his cheek in disbelief while his mother looked on. Family dinner sure had gone south fast…_

_“I just did what I believed was right dad, I’m sure you understand…” Teru muttered as he bit his lip. He was a grown man, he was not going to cry just because his father disapproved of the choices he made. Not anymore._

_“You’ve always been this silly kid with your child-like beliefs Teru-kun. I’m sure you can still fix the damage you’ve done…” his mother said, trying to soothe the situation while looking at him and his father with concern._

_“I don’t want to. I stand behind my actions. They were going to abandon that kid mom! They were going to abandon him! I had to do something, don’t you see that?!” Teru yelled, unable to grasp why his parents didn’t understand where he was coming from. He had only done what he felt was right, wasn’t that how people should live their lives._

_“You’re not my son.”_

_“Ex- Excuse me?” Teru muttered in disbelief. Did his father really just say that?_

_“You heard me, get out of my house immediately,” his father yelled at him before he grabbed the wine bottle that was on the table in front of him._

_“Come on dad…you don’t mean that…” Teru stammered as got to to make his way over to his father. If he could just hug his dad, he would surely understand where he was coming from._

_What happened next happened went so fast that Teru didn’t realize what had transpired before he heard his mother scream as he found himself laying on the ground, clutching his side._

_When he looked down at his hand he saw he was bleeding through his white shirt, his father having hit him with the wine bottle he had held. He thought it was over but his dad grabbed a shard of glass and approached Teru, cutting him straight across the wound on his stomach. Teru could feel the glass cut through his flesh, causing him to scream out in agony while he looked at his father in shock. His father was a monster..._

_“Let that scar be a reminder of the fact you're a failure. Clean this mess, and by that I don't mean yourself since you're clearly the biggest mess here, up and get out. I don’t ever want to see you again. You’re a disgrace to our family name Teru,” his father spat venomously before he walked out of the room, angrily throwing the shard he had used to cut Teru with towards him. Teru felt the glass splinters fly across his hand, as he grimaced._

_His mother looked at Teru for a moment, almost making him believe that she would help him, before she went after his father leaving him alone in a pool of his own blood as he could feel the tears prick in the back of his eyes._

_He bit his tongue again as he winced in pain. He should’ve known better than to tell his parents…they had always been like this after all. Even when he was just a little Teru…and now he had a permanent reminder of the fact that they despised him._

* * *

Feeling his phone vibrate snapped Teru out of his thoughts, checking his phone to see that Ryuji had messaged him to ask whether they were still on for boxing practice the next day. The message caused Teru to smile, at least Ryuji and his friends liked him for who he was. He didn’t need his parents as long as he could keep Sae, Ryuji and the others safe. That was all that mattered to him at this point.

Teru would do anything to keep them out of harm’s way, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was enough. He was barely getting by as a lawyer at this point and how could he protect anyone if he couldn’t even take care of himself? There had to be some way though and Teru, Teru would make sure he’d find it. No matter the cost.

* * *

**Yusuke Kitagawa**

“I am very grateful for everything you have done this year Izumi-sensei,” Yusuke said before bowing his head politely to the person teaching his advanced painting course. He, along with 2 others, were the only one she had allowed to take her class and he was grateful for all the help she had provided. She had really helped him with his art after the whole scandal with Madarame.

“Of course Yusuke-kun. You know you can just call me Minami, right? I’m not that much older,” Minami said before shaking her head. Minami Izumi was a 22 year-old artist with flowing brown hair who had decided to teach promising students at Kosei High. She was a big painter now, but back when she started out she had no one to help her and she had decided to make sure people like her wouldn’t have to make through that. At least, that’s what she had told Yusuke and his two classmates.

Yusuke was understandably skeptical at first, especially after what happened with Madarame, but he had grown to like Minami. She was very helpful, and while she gave them really tough assignments she always looked out for her students.

“I will try Minami-san, it just feels like an improper thing to do…” Yusuke stammered, causing his teacher to smile kindly at him.

“Don’t forget to think about which art piece to submit Yusuke,” Minami told him, snapping him out of his thoughts before looking at her in surprise.

“Which art piece to submit?” he repeated, unsure what she meant causing her to look momentarily flustered before slapping her hand over her mouth.

“Oh god Yusuke-kun I’m so sorry. I totally forgot to tell you!” she exclaimed before opening her briefcase to pull out what looked like a folder which she handed over to him. “I submitted an application for you. You can get both your own exhibit at a local museum and a prestigious scholarship if you win. You just have to select which painting you want to submit.”

“Wait…wait…what?” Yusuke stammered in confusion before he asked for a moment to read through the folder she had given to him.

* * *

 “I know stuff has been tough after what happened with Madarame-sensei and I figured you could use something like this…I’m sorry, I should’ve asked you first…” Minami said apologetically when he finished reading the folder, but Yusuke couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Don’t apologize Minami-san! This is great, thank you so much!” he said excitedly, and he meant it. He hadn’t expected to be able to go to the art college he wanted to go to, money was too tight for that, but this, this might be his way in and Yusuke would give it his all. He just had to submit the perfect painting...which was when a wave of worry hit him. Were any of his paintings good enough?

“Are you okay Yusuke-kun? Your face just went white…” Minami asked, sounding worried.

“I just…I don’t know what painting to pick!” Yusuke panicked causing his teacher to chuckle.

“Don’t worry Yusuke-kun, I will help you out.”

* * *

**Haru Okumura**

“Are you sure this is what you want, Haru?” Takakura, the president of Okumura Foods, asked. He looked concerned and while Haru understood why but she still had to do this. For herself.

“Yes, I would like to give you control over my shares Takakura-san. I want to carve my own path and start my own café. At first I thought I could do so by being a part of Okumura Foods, but the public still has its doubts about my father's company…and I just want a fresh start,” she stated firmly.

In a way it made her sad that she had come to this decision but she had seen what people thought about her father’s company…and that was something that she did not want to be associated with anymore.

Besides, Haru wanted to learn how to stand on her own and having her father’s legacy hang over her prevented her from doing so. She had completely planned out how she was going to do it too, she just hoped that her plans would work out.

“If you’re really sure then I will help you out. You can still count on Okumura Foods for financial support while you go to college. And of course, if you change your mind you’re welcome to take your shares back at any time. I’ll only control them, they’ll still be yours by name,” Takakura told her, sounding hesitant.

“That’s one more thing…” Haru muttered, causing Takakura to look at her in confusion. “I’m not going to college next year, I’ve decided to get a job at a café so I can work on my dream.”

“You did what?” Takakura asked, sounding shocked. “You come from a lineage of hard working company owners, surely you don’t need to…”

“I don’t, but I want to. I want to know what it’s like to work. I want to start my own café one day remember, but I have no idea how, so I have to start somewhere,” Haru answered, cutting Takakura off. This was exactly what she didn’t want. She no longer wanted to be associated with her family name, couldn’t Takakura-san see that? She felt really bad about cutting him off though, it was rude, but she knew she had to be confident and steadfast right now.

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind…?” he asked, but Haru shook her head. She had made up her mind and she was going to do this. For the first time in her life she was going to stay true to herself and what she wanted. She was going to start her own café, serving her own coffee and salads made with her own vegetables, and no one, not a single person, could stop her.

* * *

**Sae Niijima**

“Please reconsider Sae-san…” her, now former, director begged. “We cannot lose you. You’re such a great asset to our firm.”

“I’m sorry sir, but I’ve made up my mind. I cannot condone what we do as prosecutors. Last year taught me that oftentimes we go after innocent people while we let the true criminal get away…and I just cannot consciously do that anymore,” she explained. “I will finish my open cases and will stay on until you’ve found a replacement, but I cannot keep doing this.”

To her surprise the director, Shiro Kimura, a man with short black hair who appeared to be in his mid-30’s, smiled at her. He had only been recently appointed, replacing her former corrupt director who turned out to be one of Shido’s accomplices.

“If that’s the problem, why don’t I just transfer you to our defense team? We were planning on expanding and I certainly wouldn’t mind if you headed that division,” Shiro suggested, causing Sae’s jaw to drop.

“Are you serious?” she exclaimed before quickly muttering an apology. That had probably sounded really rude.

“Of course I’m serious. We would pay for the expenses that come with your bar exam and all the other things to make sure you're a fully fledged defense attorney as well…That is, if you’re interested in the position?”

Sae didn’t know what to say for a moment. This was a lot of take in. Not only had Shiro offered her the job she wanted, she was offered to be the head of a division which was another thing she had always wanted.

“Would I even be experienced enough for the job?” she asked, suddenly realizing she had no experience as a defense attorney and that that would possibly be a deal breaker.

“You’ve got years of prosecuting experience and it’s going to be an experimental division at first so there’d only be around 2 other people, most likely fresh out of law school, so I’d say you’re perfect for the job!” Shiro responded reassuringly before smiling at her. “I mean it Sae, you should take this opportunity, you deserve it after all your hard work with the Shido case.”

“I…thank you, sir. I will need to think about your offer but I think I will accept it. Could you give me a day to get back to you though? I just need to think it all through” she said, despite the fact that she she had already made up her mind, to which Shiro nodded. This was the chance of a lifetime, this was the chance she had waited for, and she was going to go for it.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

“And that’s that, Akira-kun. Is that the final thing?” Kawakami asked, sitting across from him in the counselor’s office.

“I think so. Does this mean I’m officially enrolled for next year?” Akira confirmed. This was the final thing on his list. He had taken care of a place to stay, and now that his enrollment at Shujin was extended there was no longer anything keeping him from telling Ryuji about his plans.

He looked proudly at the ring Ryuji had given him, now he was able to give him something in return. He would stay by his side and they would be together for the entirety of their senior year. Him, Ryuji and most of their friends.

Akira had to admit he felt disconnected from his friends after returning from prison though. Everyone had moved on with their lives…and in a way, his life had stood still.

Ryuji seemed to have found other things to do when he wasn’t around, hanging out with Teru, Ann or Haru. Teru and Sae had more or less become a part of their friend group now because of that. Teru seemed to slowly become Ryuji’s new best friend, meaning he often tagged along on their group meetings, and after the party most of the others seemed to genuinely like him as well. Sae tagged along because she was dating Teru and seemed to want to spend a lot of time with her sister. Something Akira could understand, seeing that Makoto was moving away soon. Makoto was his best friend so that made him upset too. He connected to most with her and part of him was worried about his senior year.

His best friend was gone and his boyfriend had found a lot of people to hang out with…and for the first time in forever Akira felt like an outsider again…

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji wasn’t really paying attention to what the others were saying, being consumed by his own thoughts. He and the other Phantom Thieves met up to discuss their plans for their upcoming school break. Tomorrow was the last day of school and they would all get around two weeks off after that.

He had tried to talk to Akira about their break, make plans with him, but whenever he tried to bring it up his boyfriend just brushed it off.

He was sure Akira was just busy though, that had to be it. He had been out all week, meeting with several people and promising Ryuji he would catch up with him later.

Ryuji didn’t mind either, he had used this time to hang out with his other friends. He went shopping with Haru and Ann, boxing with Teru and he had even made time to play video games with Futaba. Akira’s time in jail had really shown him how he should invest in people aside of him. He can’t just spend his entire life pining after Akira. He needed to spend time around other people too and that's what he had been doing.

* * *

“So what about you Akira? What are you going to do on break?” Makoto asked after everyone finished talking about what they were going to do next year. Ryuji was curious about that as well, wondering if Akira would mention anything to the others. He probably wouldn't, considering he wouldn't even tell Ryuji anything.

“Well…I think I’m going to go back home on the 19th. I’m finally allowed to go back and I think it’s high time I do so…I really need to sort things out over there,” Akira answered, sounding resolute.

Ryuji could see Akira’s mouth moving afterwards, presumably explaining what he had just brought up, but he could no longer hear the words as he felt himself getting sick as he looked down at the copper ring around his finger…

The ring felt like a huge lie as Ryuji finally understood why Akira didn’t want to make plans with him or talk about their future together. There were no plans and there was no future, Akira was going to go back to his hometown and he would leave Ryuji behind, just like others had done in the past…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write and I hope you guys liked all the reveals related to the upcoming storylines. From those teased here, I’m particularly excited to write Ann, Haru, Makoto and Teru’s storylines but the rest of them are going to be great too, I promise! I’d love to hear what you guys think about the teasers too, so please tell me in the comments?  
> Akira & Ryuji's storylines will be great as well (and I mean, Akira is teased here too), but I can't reveal whether how I feel about them yet :3
> 
> And of course we’ll end the first part of the finale with a cliffhanger (even though Ryuji is totally wrong this time around). Next time we’ll have the final chapter (26 being an epilogue that I’ll upload right after uploading 25 since that’s already done) where we’ll conclude this explosive finale and well, the entire fic, so I hope you guys enjoyed it so far and that you’re looking forward to see how it all ends (and begins again, but you’ll see :3)!
> 
> As always, leave a comment/kudo and visit my tumblr (http://raindene.tumblr.com/ ) for the newest teaser which is pretty big considering I’m revealing the arc names this time around. There’ll be 5 arcs in the sequel, so it’s going to be even bigger than this one!  
> Anyways, hope you check out the final chapter(s) when it’s up and that you’ve enjoyed everything so far!
> 
> P.S. How do you guys feel about me announcing narrators? I find it makes things easier, and since narration switches around a lot more in Gods & Games I wanted to try it out. Lemme know what you guys think tho!


	25. Stay With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji sighed. This was the 4th time he had woken up in the span of 30 minutes. Granted it was almost noon at this point, but it was also a Sunday so it would be fine to sleep in. Not that Ryuji ever slept in, he often woke up pretty early, but today was different. He just wanted to stay in bed all day today. It had been really hard to avoid Akira ever since he had dropped that bomb two days ago and there was no way he could face him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I am with the perfect Holiday Gift:
> 
> It’s the final chapter…and man, has it been a crazy ride. It sure got huge (over 100k words) and I’ve already gotten around to planning most of the sequel. I want to thank everyone for staying with me so far. I couldn’t have done it without all the kudos, comments, tumblr conversations and everything else, please keep all of that coming! I love all the feedback and nice words :)  
> I also want to give a shout out to my lovely beta reader. You know who you are and you know I couldn’t have done it without you <3  
> But yeah, thank you all so much for all the support and I hope you’ll enjoy the ending and that I’ll see you again for the sequel!
> 
> Oh and Happy Holidays everyone! I posted it just in time, it seems xP

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira was glad he had finally managed to sort everything out. He had been able to ensure his enrollment at Shujin got extended. Additionally he had also found place to stay, smiling when he thought back to the conversation he had with Sojiro.

_"Futaba mentioned you had something to talk about?” Sojiro asked after everyone had left. It seemed like the older man had deliberately stayed around until the others had left before confronting Akira. He silently cursed Futaba and her big mouth, he had told her about what he was considering to ask Sojiro…and she must’ve gotten so excited that she spilled the beans to him already._

_“I told her I was considering something, yes,” Akira responded, unsure if he could even ask Sojiro what he wanted to ask. It was a huge deal after all._

_“Does it have to do with the fact your probation is over?” Sojiro probed, revealing he was more perceptive than Akira had given him credit for._

_“I suppose…”_

_“Just ask kid. We don’t have all day,” Sojiro pushed him, causing Akira to sigh before he threw up his hands in defeat._

_“I don’t actually have a place to stay back home anymore. My mom sold the house. I can only go back there for a couple of weeks to get my stuff before…before I got no place to live. I wanted to stay here but there’s no way I can ask something like tha-…” Akira stammered before Sojiro cut him off._

_“Remember what I told you kid? We’re family. Family looks out for each other. But you’re not allowed to stay at Leblanc anymore,” Sojiro stated. Akira knew it, it was too much to ask after all. “You’re going to move in with me and Futaba. I got an empty guest room that we can convert into your bedroom.”_

_That statement caused Akira’s jaw to hit the floor, causing Sojiro to laugh._

_“Are you serious?” Akira asked, unable to believe what he had just heard. He wouldn’t have to go back to his hometown…he would have a place to stay?_

_“You’ve really helped me and Futaba out kid. The least I can offer you is a place to stay while you finish school,” Sojiro told him as he rubbed the back of his head before Akira hugged him in a rush of emotions. Sojiro patted him on the back before he looked at him with a smile. “No need to get mushy kid, I did what every good parent would do.”_

* * *

He was worried though. Today was the 19th, the day he was leaving and he hadn’t seen Ryuji since their group meeting two days ago where he announced he was leaving. He wanted to speak to Ryuji afterwards but Ryuji had quickly disappeared after the meeting ended and no one, not even Teru or Ann, had any idea where he went. When they were at school the next day Ryuji seemed to avoid him completely, once again disappearing before he had the chance to talk to him. He had to explain everything to him, explain how he was staying in Tokyo for him…but for some reason he just wasn’t able to reach him, no matter how hard he tried.

Ryuji ignored his text messages and calls and it filled Akira with a feeling of dread. What if Ryuji had somehow…misunderstood the situation?

“Akira!” Akira looked towards the stairs leading to his attic room before noticing Makoto came running up the stairs. She looked concerned and gave off the impression that she had rushed over to tell him something. “We have a problem…and it’s related to Ryuji….”

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

Ryuji sighed. This was the 4th time he had woken up in the span of 30 minutes. Granted it was almost noon at this point, but it was also a Sunday so it would be fine to sleep in. Not that Ryuji ever slept in, he often woke up pretty early, but today was different. He just wanted to stay in bed all day today. It had been really hard to avoid Akira ever since he had dropped that bomb two days ago and there was no way he could face him. Akira was going to leave, he was going to leave him and everything they had worked so hard for behind. And for what? To go back to the hometown he mentioned hating all the time. Akira had told him about how his parents pretty much abandoned him and that his life at school there hadn’t been enjoyable at all. So why go back?

He thought Akira had enjoyed his time in Tokyo, the time they had spent together, but apparently Akira would rather go back to his shitty hometown. Well he could if he wanted to, Ryuji didn’t want to think about it anymore. Thinking about it only made him miss Akira and it made him miserable.

He knew he should go say goodbye, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t consciously say goodbye to the person he loved the most.

Ryuji groaned before he rolled over to his other side, hoping he could fall asleep again. The more he slept, the faster the day would be over…and the faster Akira would be gone. Tomorrow Akira has left, and while that thought alone filled Ryuji with dread, at least he wouldn’t have to think about running into him anymore.

Ryuji bit his tongue, wanting to hold back his tears, when the realization that he would potentially never see Akira again hit him. Akira had probably tried to reach him but he just couldn’t face him. He had turned off his phone, just to make sure no one could get him out of his reclusive zone. At least he wouldn’t get more hurt that way.

* * *

“Ryu-kun?” his mother asked after knocking on the door. She had gotten back a couple of days ago and had been around the house a lot, trying to spend time with him.

“Yes?” he responded, trying to sound like nothing was wrong. He didn’t want his mother to know about how he really felt and she was probably just here to bring him some food.

“There’s people for you here…They say it’s urgent. Can they come in?” his mother asked, causing Ryuji to groan again. He was not in the mood to see anyone, although he did wonder who would even bother to visit him. “One of them is pretty old, is he that lawyer friend you told me about?”

…Teru. Ryuji wanted to punch his pillow in frustration. He did not want to see Teru, but he didn’t have a choice because the moment Ryuji turned towards his bedroom door he saw the redhead looking at him, his face filled with concern. Teru wasn’t alone either, Ann and Haru were by his side and they looked just as worried as Teru did.

“Are you sure everything is alright, Ryu-kun?” his mother asked him. Ryuji figured the concerned looks on his friends’ faces had made her worried as well.

“Don’t worry Miss Sakamoto, we’ll fix up your son!” Teru said with a smile, causing his mother to stare at the redhead for a moment before she seemed to smile back at him.

“I’ll leave it to you three then, if you need some snacks or a drink just call for me!” she said before turning around. “We’re going to talk tonight Ryuji, you’re going to tell me what’s up! For real this time.”

She left the room after that, leaving Ryuji with his three closest friends who didn’t waste a second as they moved to sit close to him. Teru ended up sitting on a chair in front of him, while Haru and Ann both sat with him on his bed.

Ryuji suspected Teru had wanted to join them on the bed, Ryuji had found out the man was quite the hugger, but he was glad the lawyer hadn’t. It was already really cramped with just the three of them.

“Your mom is pretty nice,” Teru said, trying to start a conversation after Ryuji had just grumpily stared at his friends. He liked them, but he did not want them to be here. Couldn’t they just let him wallow in his self-pity? Just for once. He would probably get over Akira eventually but for now he just wanted to mourn his loss.

“Come on Ryuji, talk to us,” Ann pleaded after Teru’s approach didn’t seem to work. “What’s wrong?”

“Ryuji-kun…we’re really worried about you…” Haru whispered after Ryuji didn’t stop glaring at them, looking like she was about to cry. “We all really hate it when you get like this…and we just want to help you. You’re our dear friend, why can’t you let us in?”

“Haru…” Ryuji muttered, taken aback by how she reacted to the way he was acting before realizing he was doing it again. He was shutting his friends out, despite promising he wouldn’t do that anymore. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t cut you guys off like this. I just…I feel like effin’ shit, okay?!”

“We know Ryuji, that’s why we’re all here,” Ann told him as a small smile showed up on her face. She seemed glad he was opening up to them.

“So tell us what’s wrong kid, we don’t have a lot of time,” Teru urged, although Ryuji didn’t know what he meant by that. Didn’t they have all the time in the world?

“It’s Akira…He’s leaving and he didn’t tell me…” Ryuji admitted, feeling tears prick in the back of his eyes as he did so. He did not want Akira to leave…and saying it out loud, it meant it finally became real.

“Oh Ryuji…” Ann said quietly before wrapping an arm around him. For a moment Ryuji thought he saw her exchange knowing glances with both Haru and Teru before deciding he imagined it. “You can still see him, you can visit him and he will definitely come back to visit us.”

“Yeah Ryuji-kun, it’s not like you’ll never see him again!” Haru chimed in, trying to cheer him up.

“But that’s not what’s bothering you, is it? It’s about that he didn’t tell you?” Teru pointed out, looking at him with an expression that Ryuji couldn’t quite place. Teru looked like he understood what Ryuji was going through, but Ryuji couldn’t help but feel like there was something else.

“Yeah…I tried talking with him about this for weeks now but…he just deflected it whenever I brought it up. It was effin’ weird and I feel like he’s known all this time and just didn’t want to tell me…” Ryuji confirmed.

“But…what if Akira-kun had a reason for not telling you?” Haru suggested, catching Ryuji by surprise.

“What do you mean?” Ryuji asked, causing all 3 of his friends to sigh.

“You’re even denser than I am…” Teru muttered. “And that’s really saying something.”

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

 “A problem?” Akira repeated, his heart suddenly feeling a lot heavier. “What do you mean?”

“We found out why Ryuji’s been avoiding you…” Makoto explained, causing Akira to feel like he had to sit down. So Ryuji had been avoiding him after all. He had hoped he had been wrong about that.

“Why is he avoiding me?” Akira asked, feeling like he had to know. Maybe there was some way he could fix it. He didn’t have much time though, he was taking a train back to his hometown and that train was leaving soon.

“He thinks you’re leaving, forever, and neglected telling him about it,” Makoto explained, causing Akira to put his hand on his face before shaking his head. He had been wanting to surprise Ryuji and tell him he was staying but that seemed to have backfired spectacularly. At the very least it explained Ryuji’s behavior for the past two days, but Akira didn’t have time to fix it. There was no way he had time to go to Ryuji’s house and explain himself, he was about to go back home.

“Good thing Futaba’s here to save the day then!” he heard Futaba yell, looking over to the stairs to find Futaba running up them, Yusuke following close behind.

“…What?” Akira muttered in surprise. Since when were all of his friends so heavily invested in his love life?

“Ann, Haru and Teru are talking to Ryuji right now to try and get him to come here and I convinced Sojiro to take you home instead of you having to take the train home. Pretty amazing, right? I’d say I at least leveled up twice from this!” she rambled proudly.

“I guess so...” Akira stammered, unsure what was going on.

“I don’t mean to be a downer, but Sojiro did say he wanted to leave at 5pm so if Ann and the others can’t convince Ryuji before then…” Yusuke clarified with a somber expression on his face. Akira knew why he looked like that too, it was pretty close to 5 and he knew how stubborn Ryuji could be. He wasn’t sure if the others would be able to convince him in time…and there was not enough time for him to go to Ryuji’s place if he wanted to make it back by 5pm.

They seemed to be cutting it close, like they used to when exploring palaces, and Akira didn’t like it one bit. Not when it was related to his boyfriend.

“Aww Inari, why’d you have to point that out?!” Futaba complained while punching her boyfriends’ arm.

“Akira deserves to know the truth, not just the happy bits. Of course I hope that they’ll reunite before Akira has to leave us but I also know that that may not be a possibility,” Yusuke responded.

“I guess all we can do is hope then,” Makoto decided before she turned towards Akira. “We can help you pack your stuff and keep you company at least?”

“That’d be great actually, thanks guys!” Akira answered, trying to smile. He didn’t want to smile though, the prospect of him leaving Ryuji temporarily without even being able to say goodbye weighed too heavily on his mind for that.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamoto**

“I’m not dense!” Ryuji argued, causing Teru to shake his head while Ann and Haru laughed. “I really am not!”

“He loves you, doesn’t he? How many times does he have to tell you that before you believe that?” Teru pointed out, sounding a lot harsher than usual. “Seriously, get a grip man!”

“I…” Ryuji muttered before bursting into tears.

“Now look at what you did Teru, you made him cry!” Ann yelled angrily at the lawyer, causing him to look down towards the ground.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just, Ryuji has to realize how lucky he is to have someone like Akira and I thought I could get through to him by being harsh,” he explained before putting his hand on Ryuji’s knee. “I’m sorry for yelling at you kid, but you have to go see Akira. You owe it to him.”

“I just…Whenever he’s not there I feel like my worlds’ falling into pieces. When I’m around you three it’s not too bad but when I’m alone…” Ryuji stammered through his sobs.

“And we’ll be here, Ryuji-kun. We’ll help you get over that but you have to go see Akira-kun. You’ll regret it if you don’t!” Haru told him. “We’ll never leave you alone to deal with your problems. Your problems are our problems!”

“Yeah, Haru’s right. We’re here for you Ryuji but you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself. We’re your friends, we’ll help you out…but you can’t lock yourself in your room and ignore us. Or Akira, you can’t ignore Akira either!” Ann added before she put his hand on his shoulder. “So get changed and go see him.”

Ryuji looked at his friends trying to encourage him and felt happy. They were right, he should let them in. Maybe they could help him out, he knew for a fact that all three of them already had despite how much he had tried to push them away.

“I know I haven’t been in your life for long, but that goes for me too kid! I’ll be there for you, for all of you, but you have to let me help you,” Teru said, before he stood up and lifted Ryuji off his bed.

“Whoa! L-Let go of me!” Ryuji muttered, both surprised by what Teru was doing and by the fact that Teru was able to lift him off of his bed so easily. He was a lot stronger than he looked.

“Only if you promise you’ll get ready to go see Akira,” Teru responded, causing Ann and Haru to laugh while they cheered Teru on.

“I…I will…” Ryuji muttered before Teru put him down and ruffled his hair.

“You have to hurry up Ryuji-kun!” Haru suddenly pointed out, interrupting him and Teru. “Akira’s leaving in less than an hour!”

“He…he is what now?” Ryuji stammered. He somehow hadn’t realized that it was already that late.

“Time to get you ready then!” Ann cheered before making her way over to his closet. “We’ll get you ready in no time and Teru can drive you to Leblanc! We can still make this work!”

“I can try…” Teru muttered, before noticing the glare Haru and Ann threw his way. “I mean, I’ll make sure to get him there on time! My speed will know no limits!”

Ryuji smiled at how much effort his friends were putting into this…He resolved to try his hardest too, hoping he’d be able to reach Akira in time.

* * *

**Akira Kurusu**

Akira sighed, guess this was really happening. He was leaving Tokyo without even being able to say goodbye to Ryuji.

“Guess it’s time to put my stuff in Sojiro’s car guys…” he muttered.

Futaba, Makoto and Yusuke looked at him with sad looks on their faces, each of them desperately trying to think of them to stall for time.

“Maybe I can fake Inari broke something, then we can get Sojiro to take him to the hospital and give you more time!” Futaba suggested. “Or maybe we can tell him there’s an Alien Invasion and he can’t drive…or maybe…-“

“Thanks Futaba, I really appreciate it, but I guess some things just happen…No matter how much they suck…” Akira said before putting his hand on Futaba’s head. “Thanks for trying though. All of you.”

He looked around the room one final time. He would never be back here, even when he returned to Tokyo. There was so many memories associated with this room. This had been their Phantom Thief Headquarters in a way. Morgana had been here.

That thought caused Akira to sigh. He missed Morgana, they had been pretty close, especially near the end and now he was gone. Morgana wouldn’t come back like he would. Morgana would be gone forever.

Akira grabbed his suitcase before making his way down the stairs, his friends staying behind in the attic after they had said their goodbyes to him. Futaba had started crying, she was really upset that they hadn’t been able to reunite him and Ryuji along with the fact that she didn’t want her “big brother” to leave for a couple of weeks.

It made Akira happy that Futaba saw him like that, he saw her like a little sister too, in a way, and they would be living together like siblings once he came back so there was actually going to be some truth to that statement soon.

Makoto and Yusuke said their own goodbyes to Akira as well. His goodbye with Makoto was incredibly emotional, she was his best friend, considering she wouldn’t be there when he returned. Makoto promised she’d try to at least go home on the weekends though, so she could spend time with her and their friends, but she immediately pointed out that she wasn’t sure how possible that would be in the long run.

A lot was going to change next year, that was for sure, and Akira wasn’t sure if he was ready for all of that. In a way it really scared him.

* * *

**Ryuji Sakamato**

“Akira, wait!” Ryuji yelled. He saw Akira was already putting his suitcase in back of Sojiro’s car. He had made it just in time. “I’m here now!”

“Ryuji…?” Akira muttered before he ran over to him. “I thought you weren’t going to come.”

“I know…I know and I’m sorry! I should be there for you, even if you move away…we’ll find a way to make it work…even if we have to be long-distance I want you to know that I will love you regardless,” he rambled before Akira held up his hand to quiet him down.

“…I’m staying in Tokyo Ryu,” Akira whispered softly, causing Ryuji to look at him in shock.

He had braced himself for this, braced himself for the goodbye and here he was, his knees shaking, and he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You’re…staying?” he slowly repeated, unable to wrap his head around the concept.

“For you, you are the light in my darkness and I couldn’t have gotten through the past year without you. Kawakami took care of my enrollment at Shujin and after I talked with Sojiro, he said I can stay with him and Futaba. They don’t want me to live in the attic anymore either, so I’m properly moving in with them.”

He could see Akira brightly smiling at this point, and Ryuji couldn’t help himself as he launched himself at the other boy, kissing him. “The hell you made me worry for then, dude!” he yelled excitedly after they broke free from each other.

“I’m still going back home to get my things but I’ll be back before school starts up again. Kawakami insists I’m back by April and a week and a half should be enough for me to sort stuff out at home,” Akira clarified.

“Well shit, I’m still gonna have to miss you then…” Ryuji sighed. He knew he shouldn’t complain, until a few moments ago he had believed Akira was going back to his hometown forever, but he was still going to be alone until school started back up again and he hated that he would be separated from Akira. It made his issues more apparent and even though he was working through it with Ann, Haru and Teru’s help who had promised to support him, he would probably still relapse a little and he hated that.

“You…can come visit, y’know? I’ll be alone anyway and I would love some company,” Akira suggested, reminding Ryuji of the fact that he had time off until April as well.

“You know what dude! I will!” Ryuji smiled, making a mental note to himself to ask Teru, considering Makoto was moving away and the rest of his friends didn’t have a license, to drive him to Akira’s hometown so he could visit Akira.

He would do _it_ too. He had been planning to do _it_ for a while now and now was the perfect time to do so. When he’d meet up with Akira again the other boy would be in for a surprise because one thing was for certain, Akira would meet a whole new Ryuji. A Ryuji he, along with all their friends, had helped built.

**~The End~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that we’re done. I hope the happy ending was satisfactory for everyone and that you liked seeing everyone get together to make sure Ryuji and Akira got the happy ending they very much deserve. But what is this surprise Ryuji has planned for Akira? You’ll find out almost immediately when the new fic begins, and it’s going to be a great moment for his Ryuji's character development, using a trope I love very much :3  
> Oh and if you think this was a bit short, that’s because of what I’m about to reveal below xP  
> (Also, just a small note but Ann, Haru and Teru were aware that Akira wasn’t going to leave forever. They just wanted to push Ryuji to go see him to figure that out on his own).
> 
> WE’RE NOT DONE YET, CHECK THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THE EPILOGUE! (Should be up like 10 mins or so after posting this, so well, right now xP)


	26. Epilogue

**Morgana**

When Morgana got consumed by the light after he and the other Phantom Thieves defeated Yaldabaoth he had thought it was the end, he had completed his mission and was going to disappear along with the rest of the Metaverse. It was sad, but that was his purpose, was it not? Nothing he could do would change that…or so he thought. He surely hadn’t expected to end up in a prison cell again, the light turning out to be some kind of teleportation magic that had transported him there.

* * *

It had been 3 or 4 months since that had happened as Morgana looked to his right to see Lavenza and Igor chained up along with him. For some reason he had been able to stay in his Metaverse-form, no longer reverting to a cat, although he couldn’t figure out why that was. The Metaverse had been destroyed so this didn’t make any sense.

“Any luck contacting them?” he asked his fellow captives, but the look on their faces told him all he needed to know. Their powers were being blocked by whoever was holding them captive and it made them unable to reach out to Akira and the others. Or perhaps there was a different reason altogether…

“Oh how the mighty have fallen,” a masculine voice said before Morgana saw two robed figures enter the area in which they were held captive. The second robed figure, a woman, just cackled maniacally as they turned towards their prisoners.

“You know whatever you’re trying to do is futile Igor-chan,” the woman purred, before she started laughing again. She seemed like an outright psychopath. That was something Morgana knew for sure.

“I have faith in the chosen ones,” Igor responded stoically.

“They’ll find us, I know they will save us!” Lavenza added, sounding confident.

“Oh honey, without their precious Personas, they can’t do anything to stop us,” the woman squealed in delight.

“What did you do to them!?” Morgana yelled, he had not realized the others were unable to use their Personas. Their Personas were a part of them and they should be able to contact them even without the Metaverse. This didn’t make any sense at all.

His thought process was interrupted when the man picked him up and threw him against the wall, hurting him as he rolled across the floor.

“Quiet, kitty-cat. It doesn’t matter anyways, they’re all going to be our subjects soon along with the rest of humanity.”

“You blocked their resonance didn’t you?” Lavenza asked, her voice filled with anger. “You can’t do that, that’s really dangerous!”

“I’m surprised you know about the resonance, not that it matters,” the man replied, sounding smug. “You can’t do anything to stop us.”

“Oh how we’ve waited over 2000 years for this, I can’t believe it’s finally happening!” the woman chimed excitedly before turning towards Morgana and the others. “We’ll use that Metaverse and once we’re done making our adjustments, oh boy, it’ll be so much fun!”

“That’s right, kitty-cat, your precious Metaverse isn’t gone. We just deleted the app that you silly Phantom Thieves used to enter it. It was really easy to make them believe the Metaverse was gone and as long as they do, they won’t try to do anything to stop us. They have no idea who they really are, some of them haven’t even awakened yet and since we blocked their mental link to their Personas they’ll never find out,” the man said, his voice filled with smugness as he turned away from his prisoners.

“Poor Yaldabaoth-chan didn’t realize we were manipulating everything behind the scenes, it is such a pity,” the woman said before she started cackling once again. “Such, such a terrible pity!”

“Well, you can’t expect the Demiurge to really do anything useful, now can you Aphrodite?” the man told her, before roaring with laughter.

“Aphrodite…? The Olympian Aphrodite?” Igor muttered, his face having gone white with shock.

“That’s just a legend…The Olympians are a myth,” Lavenza added, a look of disbelief edged on her face, causing the woman to laugh even louder.

“Oh honey, don’t you know all legends are true? We may have been phased out by humanity once, separating our realm from theirs, but we’re back now and we won’t stop until every single human worships us,” Aphrodite responded before turning around as she and the other hooded figure left the prison. Leaving Morgana and the others behind.

* * *

“We have to do something,” Morgana muttered, sounding like he was about to lose hope. Things were supposed to be over after they had defeated Yaldabaoth, but apparently that was just the start. What did the man, and Igor and Lavenza for that matter, mean when he was talking about resonance, chosen ones and all the other things. Morgana had never known about any of that. He had never even heard most of those terms before.

“That we do, that we do…” Igor said before he grinned, revealing a toothy grin and causing Lavenza and Morgana to look at him in surprise before he explained what he had realized. “They revealed one fatal flaw in their plan, they may have blocked their ability to contact their Personas but we have someone who’s an expert at reawakening people, don’t we Lavenza?”

Lavenza nodded, before she started glowing with a blue light as Morgana looked at her in awe. He thought their powers were blocked in the prison, but apparently he had been wrong about that.

“I guess it’s time for me to release them then?” she asked cautiously before Igor nodded.

“Go for it girl, it’s time for the chosen to wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So funny note, I’ve actually been planning this since Mid-October, back when I made the changes to accommodate “future” fics and I’m glad to finally be able to reveal this direction!  
> I really want to hear what you guys think about this twist and the upcoming stuff! Did you even see something like this coming at all? Because I hope you didn’t :P  
> At any rate, I hope you guys enjoyed everything I published so far and that you’ll join me for Gods & Games, which I promise will be even better than this with more Akiryu (they’re still the main couple even if there’s more time for the other characters to shine), more characters, more action, more angst, more relationships and tons of other things! So I really hope you’re as excited as I am!
> 
> Leave a kudo/comment for the final time as it’s finally time for me to say bye for now. I want to thank all of you again for reading Consequences of Love and I’ll try to have the first chapter for Gods & Games up by the end of the year, and if not, right when 2018 begins!  
> So yeah, watch the Archive and my Tumblr for when it’s released. Oh and I’ve uploaded the summary for Gods & Games on my tumblr along with a sneak preview, so check that out if you want to hype yourself (or at least, I hope I am able to create some hype xP)


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